The Moment and State of Death
Benjamin Franklin was correct in his assessment of death when he quipped that it was one of only two certainties in this world. Death and sin are inextricably bound, and because of the radical corruption of man, death in this world is indeed a certainty. Death became a certainty when man disobeyed the command of God in the Garden, and continues to be unavoidable for that same reason (Romans 5:12). Should death then be viewed as a punishment for sin, as a consequence of sin, or both?
At this point it is important to distinguish between the moment of death (physical) and the state of death (spiritual).
The moment of death brings joy for the believer and horror for the unbeliever. Since the believer and unbeliever alike die, it is difficult to describe the moment of death itself as a punishment. Christ suffered the believer’s punishment, so if dying is viewed as a punishment, it must be concluded that Christ’s atonement was insufficient – a conclusion that is untenable. Instead, the moment of death is more accurately seen as a consequence of sin (Romans 6:23, James 1:15) and can then be defined as the instant of cessation of biological functions within the body and the departure of the soul/spirit from the body, either to life and blessing or to death and punishment.
Unlike the moment of death, the state of death is punitive and is experienced only by the unbeliever. Upon dying the unbelieving soul/spirit leaves the body and is held under punishment by God until judgment (2 Peter 2:9). Exactly where the unbelieving soul/spirit is held is uncertain, but it is no doubt confined to a place absent of God’s blessing. This was not God’s original intention. In Genesis 2 God formed the body of man from the dust of the ground, but man became a spiritual being when God breathed into him the breath of life. In light of this the writer of Ecclesiastes can say, “…the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (12:7). It is natural for the soul/spirit to return to God when separated from the body; a soul/spirit not returning to God upon leaving the body is most unnatural. The state of death can then be defined as the separation of the unbelieving soul/spirit from the body and from the Lord’s presence of blessing, and the holding of the unbelieving soul for final judgment.
If the unbeliever is punitively held for judgment in a state of death, what of the believer?
The doctrine of psychopannychy, or soul sleep, states that when believers die they go into a state of unconscious existence until the resurrection. Support for this belief is found primarily in the Scripture’s several references to death as ‘sleep’. However, as Wayne Grudem points out, this terminology is metaphorical, emphasizing the temporal nature of death for the believer (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 819). As with the unbeliever, it is difficult to say precisely where the believer goes upon dying, but Scripture is clear that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6,8). This statement reaffirms Jesus’ promise to the thief on the cross: “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The believer’s immediate conscious existence in the presence of God may be seen in other passages as well (Luke 16:22; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-10).
While the details may be obscured, it is consistent with Scripture to say that believers who die are at home with the Lord, in paradise, in Abraham’s bosom, free from death and sin. The unbelieving dead are being held under punishment, in darkness and torment, until the Day of the Lord, when they will suffer the second death.
Let the believer say, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
Let the unbeliever call upon the name of the Lord.
At this point it is important to distinguish between the moment of death (physical) and the state of death (spiritual).
The moment of death brings joy for the believer and horror for the unbeliever. Since the believer and unbeliever alike die, it is difficult to describe the moment of death itself as a punishment. Christ suffered the believer’s punishment, so if dying is viewed as a punishment, it must be concluded that Christ’s atonement was insufficient – a conclusion that is untenable. Instead, the moment of death is more accurately seen as a consequence of sin (Romans 6:23, James 1:15) and can then be defined as the instant of cessation of biological functions within the body and the departure of the soul/spirit from the body, either to life and blessing or to death and punishment.
Unlike the moment of death, the state of death is punitive and is experienced only by the unbeliever. Upon dying the unbelieving soul/spirit leaves the body and is held under punishment by God until judgment (2 Peter 2:9). Exactly where the unbelieving soul/spirit is held is uncertain, but it is no doubt confined to a place absent of God’s blessing. This was not God’s original intention. In Genesis 2 God formed the body of man from the dust of the ground, but man became a spiritual being when God breathed into him the breath of life. In light of this the writer of Ecclesiastes can say, “…the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (12:7). It is natural for the soul/spirit to return to God when separated from the body; a soul/spirit not returning to God upon leaving the body is most unnatural. The state of death can then be defined as the separation of the unbelieving soul/spirit from the body and from the Lord’s presence of blessing, and the holding of the unbelieving soul for final judgment.
If the unbeliever is punitively held for judgment in a state of death, what of the believer?
The doctrine of psychopannychy, or soul sleep, states that when believers die they go into a state of unconscious existence until the resurrection. Support for this belief is found primarily in the Scripture’s several references to death as ‘sleep’. However, as Wayne Grudem points out, this terminology is metaphorical, emphasizing the temporal nature of death for the believer (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 819). As with the unbeliever, it is difficult to say precisely where the believer goes upon dying, but Scripture is clear that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6,8). This statement reaffirms Jesus’ promise to the thief on the cross: “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The believer’s immediate conscious existence in the presence of God may be seen in other passages as well (Luke 16:22; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-10).
While the details may be obscured, it is consistent with Scripture to say that believers who die are at home with the Lord, in paradise, in Abraham’s bosom, free from death and sin. The unbelieving dead are being held under punishment, in darkness and torment, until the Day of the Lord, when they will suffer the second death.
Let the believer say, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
Let the unbeliever call upon the name of the Lord.
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