Are The Dead Like Rover — Dead All Over?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesA querist asks, “There are people who believe that when we die, we become non-existent, like the animal. Is this true?”
From Solomon’s inspired writing in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21, we know that as far the aspect of dying physically is concerned — man has no advantage over the beast — both will eventually die a physical death (visit a local cemetery). He continues with the same content of thought in Ecclesiastes 9:4-6.
The key phrase to note in the book of Ecclesiastes 1-12, is “under the sun” (cf. Ecclesiastes 1:3,9,14; 2:11,19,20,22; 3:16; 4:3,7). This phrase refers to all activity on earth (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).
When our physical body has served its designed purpose here on earth, it will die physically, (James 2:26; Hebrews 9:27), but the spirit that God has given us, will never die (cf. Genesis 2:7; Numbers 16:22; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Isaiah 57:16; Zechariah 12:1). When we die, physically speaking, we will cease to have any more association with happenings here on earth, i.e., “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).
When we die physically, our spirit will return back to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7), awaiting the judgment, in the realm of the unseen dead (Hades), either in Paradise or in a place of torment (Luke 16:19-31; cf. Luke 23:43). Whichever place we find ourselves in, we will be fully aware of our existence, our environment, and our ability to communicate with other people.
Job asked this penetrating question in Job 14:14: “If a man dies [physically], shall he live again?” Jesus answers that question in John 11:23-26, regarding Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus, with a resounding “Yes!”
Thus, those who believe and teach that when we die, we’re just like rover [like the beast] — dead all over [non-existent], are in error. They need to do what the noble Bereans were willing to do — “search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so” (Acts 17:11).