What is death?

What is death?

Once a man asked G-d for a butterfly to add a little beauty to his garden. However, G-d only gave him a caterpillar. The man was surprised, because he had asked for one thing and G-d gave him something else. After many days, in the place of the caterpillar, there was a beautiful and stunning butterfly. From where did the butterfly come? From the death of the caterpillar. But, did the caterpillar really die?

I want you to understand what metamorphosis truly means. Metamorphosis means a transformation or you can say it means different stages of development of any creatue as it evolves. The developmental stages or the metamorphosis of a butterfly takes place in four stages.

The caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly only after passing through different phases of metamorphosis. First there is the egg, then the caterpillar whose only job is to eat and eat AND eat some more until it bursts out of its skin. , then the Pupa/cocoon and then the transformed/resurrected butterfly. This is G-d's plan for all of us. In Romans 8:29 it says that we are to be "conformed to the image of His son." To become like Christ is our ultimate goal! We will take our spiritual development with us when we leave our physical bodies and move on into the timeless spiritual realm. Our spiritual development is very, very important. That's why G-d doesn't always intercede to make life easy for us.

We are first conceived as an egg, then some of us grow to become believers in Jesus who then carry our Bibles and and literally feed on the scriptures, focusing on learning about G-d through Jesus. This is how our foundation is built, and when we eventually die; we are simply laying at rest waiting to come forth in glorious immortality - in 1 Corinthians 15.51-56 we read: "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?


According to the Bible, two separate and distinct deaths can befall man. When you experience the first "death" - hopefully you will have accepted Jessus and experiece and are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you have accepted Jesus sacrifice you will therefore escape the possibility of a second death when true death and hell are cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14-15)

When you are truly born again you will not suffer the second death. It is very important to notice that only the second death is actually labeled as a death! That is, it is final and eternal. There is no recovery or return from the second death! This truly fits our definition of the word death. It is the permanent cessation of all vital life functions. Let's examine how the Bible considers the first "death". When the first "death" of any man is discussed in the Bible, the words used to describe that first event are only "sleep, slumber or rest". Only man, among all the animals is said to sleep, slumber, or rest when he dies. In fact, when Jesus raised people from the dead, He often stated they were not dead, but simply asleep:


And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn... (Mark 5:39-40)

Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. (John 11:11) - Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. (John 11:39)

When pressed, Jesus spoke plainly and stated that Lazarus was indeed dead. Plainly indicates that Jesus spoke in terms of how man understands death:


Then Jesus said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. (John 11:14)

In neither case, when Jesus said Lazarus was asleep nor when He said Lazarus was dead, did Jesus lie. Both statements are true! One was from G-d's point of view and the other was from man's point of view. From G-d's perspective there is only one true death, the second death. Once one understands the two deaths described in the Bible, it becomes easier to understand the scriptures. However, one needs to distinguish which is being referred to in the context of each verse. Words such as sleep, slumber, and rest are used to refer to man's first death. Words such as die, death, and perish are used to refer to man's permanent second death. For example:


The soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4)

Since die is used, this scripture refers to the second death. Otherwise, the word sleep or rest would have been used. All have sinned and come short of the glory of G-d. Therefore, we are all headed for the second death. The good news is that G-d will intervene if we repent:


For G-d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Thank G-d, you can become a believer in Jesus!

Perish means to disappear forever, which is what happens to those who suffer the second death. Everyone who dies the first death will be resurrected, whether Christian or not - in Hebrews 9:27 we read: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Man's soul is truly immortal; after the judgement G-d will decide your soul's fate for all eternity. Are you ready for the coming judgement?

The Good News that in Jesus when the true believers in Jesus die the first death, we do not perish. Since G-d gave His only Son so that those who believe in Him should not perish, this promise protects us from the second death. From a true believer's and G-d's prospective, we do not perish due to our first death, we simply rest:


For we which have believed do enter into rest... (Hebrews 4:3)

The "rest" used in this context indicates what happens to Christians after our first physical death. We are said to "Rest in Peace,"

Paul writes:
1 Thess. 4.14-17 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which SLEEP in Jesus will G-d bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G-d: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"

The true believers in Paul's day were distressed because their friends and relatives were dying and being laid to rest in their graves and they were afraid that only those alive would go home with Christ at his second coming. So Paul says vs. 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." Jesus will bring the sleeping saints home to heaven as well! He will raise them with a shout, with the trump of G-d, 1 Thess. 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up TOGETHER with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

THE DEAD ARE ONLY ASLEEP!

So, when a true believer dies physically - Rest in Peace! For In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and you shall be raised incorruptible, and you shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must PUT ON IMMORTALITY. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?" We look forward to seeing all true believers who have fallen sleep as beautiful incorruptible butterflys!