by Steve Crook

Often times since being given the faith of Christ that I have now been given, I am asked a question that tends to boggle folks’ minds when answered with the Word of God. “So, what happens when we die?”

Oh, the dreaded “D” word! Not damn or dang, but death. Dying, the inevitable truth that we all will face, is what drives all fear. Many a man has met this stone cold truth, but one Son of man and of God stood in death’s grip and was laughingly yanked away.

In fact, we all are dying from the womb and indeed die daily, physically. The difference between dying now physically to the world or spiritually to the new man, is what sets a part those who NOW are the Sons of God versus those who are coming along at their appointed time later.

During this study, we will all delve deeper into the dwelling place of the Lord in a way that, Lord willing, awakens a little more of Christ in us all as He increases and we decrease.

Ecc 9:5 – For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Ecc 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecc 12:8 – Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
Ecc 12:9 – And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
Ecc 12:10 – The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

Taken by Surprise

When something as profound as the Light and Truth step into what you thought was “your life”, you are granted to see that you indeed have been awakened to this Truth that was already so. Simply stated, you now understand and know that to be the case. You were awakened, born again, given Life, shown the way, breathed into with the Spirit of God because BEFORE this time, you were DEAD already.

His Word awakens that which was dead, lives, yet is dying.

How does this all happen and what am I talking about? The first Adam is the beginning so it’s good to start there.

Of course, we have Adam who is known as coming from the dust of the ground, mixed with a little breath, who became a living soul, but let’s take our adventure to a time earlier than that… say, the foundation of the world?

Gen 2:7 – And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Rev 13:8 – And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Mat 13:34 – All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Mat 13:35 – That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Mat 25:34 – Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Joh 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 – The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 – All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

So what “things” are we talking about here? The dead know nothing or ‘no thing’. The KJV says the dead know not anything. Yet, we know that Christ says Himself that all things are ours.

How does this all come together with the answer I give to people who ask me what happens after we die? Well, our body dies, and the Spirit given to us from God goes back to Him.

The complete answer though is much more hopeful! After death, we are awakened! Some of us, those that are blessed of God Himself, are told to inherit the kingdom of God NOW as we are breathed into with the Spirit of God while others waken unto judgment in the second death. Double whammy!

Confused? Things being uttered hard to understand? Let the Lord guide us all!

Hear Him Roar

In this study, we are going to be covering a lot of Ecclesiastes, and along the reading, we will begin to see a pattern form.

Here we have a “son of David”, and we know who Christ typifies – David. Keeping this in mind, let us see what the Lord has in store for us.

Ecc 1:1 – The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:2 – Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ecc 1:3 – What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun (Christ)?
Ecc 1:4 – One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
Ecc 1:5 – The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
Ecc 1:6 – The wind (Spirit) goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
Ecc 1:7 – All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
Ecc 1:8 – All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Ecc 1:9 – The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecc 1:10 – Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Ecc 1:11 – There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

We have just read a comparison of basically, “what goes around comes around”. In this comparison though, we can see a pattern if we are given eyes to see and ears to hear it.

Out of the sum of what mankind is able to accomplish under the sun, it all equals vanity. That is very interesting. The next verse starts to reveal to us how this information was gathered by the author.

Ecc 1:12 – I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Up until this point we have read a few verses alluding to the truth that all of mankind’s thoughts and actions are vanity. Now, we have a preacher who has identified himself as a preacher and king over Israel in Jerusalem.

I, the preacher, was king of Israel in Jerusalem. Aren’t we going to be kings and priests? Israel is God’s people but who is the true Jew? In relation to the “king being on the throne”, do we see a head and body scenario forming yet? Finally, where is Jerusalem? Where is the Jerusalem that our walk has us looking for?

All of these questions start to paint a scriptural picture for us. The one qualified to talk about this topic has the credentials as given to him of God. These credentials are nothing less than:

Heb 12:11 – Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Heb 5:14 – But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

How does that discernment fit into this question of death?

Ecc 1:13 – And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ecc 1:14 – I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecc 1:15 – That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. (who can attest to the truth of this concerning our flesh)
Ecc 1:16 – I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecc 1:17 – And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
Ecc 1:18 – For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Tying this all together, we have now read a template that we are going to focus on in regards to death, dying and what this whole subject is all about.

We all know we are going to die, but what happens afterward is a great mystery. This mystery is one I hope is opened up to us today a little bit more.

All Things versus No Thing

Ecc 9:5 – For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

All those living know one thing – we will die. What is the reward of the living? We know that the dead know not anything but what does that mean? On the surface, it seems pretty common, but let’s wipe away a little surface mud and see what’s beneath.

Job 30:23 – For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

Dan 4:17 – This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

Death is the house of the living? How true this is if you can see it. Those who are living in this “present and evil age” for“this present and evil age” will continue to do so until they go to the dust that they were formed from.

However, there is a huge difference happening in those who realize they are walking among the “living dead”.

Rom 7:24 – O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Col 1:22 – In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

I am asked what happens after we die? Immediately, my mind asks which death the questioner is referring to? I know instinctively that the questioner is asking about physical death, but what was Christ’s point in resurrecting and continuing on to the rest of His ministry if DEATH were the focal point of life?

Death is the enemy. Death is a tool. Death will be done away with and is already fading until its ultimate destruction. Death will be swallowed up in victory, but is that out there somewhere waiting for its time to happen? No! It is NOW!

As a child of God, I should be endeavoring to learn more than the schoolmaster alone can teach me, and who is the schoolmaster?

Gal 3:24 – Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 – But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26 – For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

The schoolmaster, the law, is no longer the dominator because a greater thing has entered the race – Faith! The schoolmaster is simply there to bring us to Christ, because the schoolmaster is only a form of that which will destroy the flesh – Faith. The schoolmaster is the law which keeps our lawless and disobedient flesh in check.

1Ti 1:9 – Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Colossians is used to bring this point home:

Col 1:20 – And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Remember, the focus we are looking at right now is what are all things versus no thing which is what the dead know. Do you see how the Holy Spirit inspired this link to be made? All things in earth (carnal mind/ flesh/ physical) versus things in heaven (mind of Christ/ new man/ spiritual) are all reconciled to Christ. Christ did it all in ONE body! Son of man and Son of God….

Col 1:21 – And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22 – In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23 – If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Col 1:24 – Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25 – Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26 – Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 – To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 – Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

This hope of glory is why I sit here today sharing with you all what it is the Lord has given me to share. When asked what happens when we die. The answer that can be accurately given is – life happens.

Life through Death

Joh 12:24 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 – He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26 – If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

And just where is Christ? If we are going to minister to Christ, then where are we going when we follow Him because we obviously must be WITH Christ to serve Him, no? Well, how can we follow Christ to where He is? The answer lies in the cup.

Mat 26:39 – And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Mat 26:40 – And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Mat 26:41 – Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

I’ve always thought it spiritually interesting that Christ’s disciples are dead… er, ‘sleeping’ when Christ comes to them. In type and shadow, Peter is sleeping (or dead), and Christ SPEAKS! Here is another example that gives a little more detail:

Mat 26:37 – And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (Zebadee means “my gift” and he was a fisherman), and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Mat 26:38 – Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39 – And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Mat 26:40 – And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Mat 26:41 – Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mat 26:42 – He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Mat 26:43 – And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. (they cannot see)
Mat 26:44 – And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Mat 26:45 – Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the HOUR IS AT HAND, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mat 26:46 – Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

Truly, Christ was only accompanied by the Father during the time of “the cup”. Do you believe our experience while drinking this cup will be any different?

Luk 22:17 – And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Luk 22:18 – For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Luk 22:19 – And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 – Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Now, we have seen that if a grain of wheat fall to the ground and die, then it brings forth fruit – life. We have also just read that as Christ was going through this extreme suffering, His disciples were sleeping.

It isn’t until Christ comes a third time that He then tells His disciples to “sleep on” or continue sleeping. The first two times Christ came to His disciples, He reprimanded them for sleeping on the watch. Why is it that this happened the first two times but the third time is different?

As we have all come to understand, anytime something is told to us two or three times in scripture, then there is a point being brought home.

A large point being made here is the disciples were sleeping because:

Mat 26:43 – And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

I am starting to see a connection here, “their eyes were heavy.” Christ goes away and does the same thing and comes back and then says, “Sleep on now, and take your rest, the hour is at hand.” Whoa! Where have we seen this?

This phrase sounds a lot like, “the time is at hand”. Does anyone recognize this anywhere else?

Rom 13:11 – And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 – The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

1Jn 2:18 – Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Rev 14:15 – And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

2Ti 4:6 – For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7 – I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Keeping the Faith (start of part 2)

Up to this point, we have read a lot of things pertaining to death and dying but the title of this study is, “The Dead Know Not Anything” “so when are we going to touch upon that subject, Steven?”

Well, we have been the whole time, and in part two of this study I hope that this will be brought out a little bit more as the Lord wills.

Earlier, we read that Paul kept the faith, and earlier than that we read that the schoolmaster is no longer needed when faith comes. So, how does faith have anything to do with death, and what does any of this have to do with the “dead not knowing anything?”

Rom 4:1 – What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Rom 4:2 – For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 – For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4 – Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 – But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Rom 4:13 – For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Col 2:11 – In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12 – Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

1Pe 1:20 – Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 – Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

It is at the start of our “buried with Him, rising with Him through faith” that we start our walk. Let the dead bury the dead. See, we are already dead in trespasses when we come to the cross, when we come to this point.

Eph 2:1 – And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 – Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Col 2:13 – And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

When we come to this point, we are already spiritually dead. However, when we are buried in His baptism, we are given life in Him via resurrected life.

What do we do with this life? Well, we die daily to our flesh with this new life and mind.

1Co 15:25 – For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 – The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 – For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 – And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
1Co 15:29 – Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
1Co 15:30 – And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
1Co 15:31 – I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Wait a second! Christ is going to destroy death, and I die daily, so when will Christ destroy death? It is when death has worked its purpose. For you and I and any other saint in Christ, this time is NOW.

Rom 6:3 – Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 – Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 – For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

What does His resurrection mean? It means we are as He is in this world, now. We die daily, THUS we are REBORN daily in His resurrection. His name. His image…but how do we get from A to Z?

We are dead, are dying and will die.

What I am saying is that we are in a place now where the Lord starts His process in us so that we now are awakened to it; thus, we will be told to die again.

We are said we are DEAD in our transgressions. Christ comes to us and drags us to the Father after he comes to us while we are asleep and says…RISE. We are born into life by dying, and being dead we are free from the law. But, we are then told to DIE DAILY now, while the hour is at hand. Whew!

Can you see how the flesh rebels? How does this all happen?

“I thought we were talking about what happens after we die, Steven?”

I am talking about what happens after you die because some of us brothers and sisters are living it NOW! Some of us, Lord willing, have been called out of her…some of us are being called out of her and are being chosen to be Faithful until the end to overcome.

Some of us have the Word of God LIVING and BREATHING eternal LIFE into us. We know the Word of God for what the Lord has given us and what has been given to us is that we are to JUDGE OURSEVLES NOW.

Did I say judge OTHERS now? Nope. However, when judgment happens and the Spirit within the temple of God stirs from the north to the south again, then you will have that beam removed so that the spec that you see in your brother’s eye can easily be removed with LOVE.

Mar 12:29 – And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel(who is a Jew?); The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 – And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 – And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Joh 15:12 – This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Gal 5:14 – For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

1Jn 3:11 – For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1Jn 3:12 – Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
1Jn 3:13 – Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
1Jn 3:14 – We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1Jn 3:15 – Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1Jn 3:16 – Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.(we abide in death by dying daily and live by example)

1Jn 5:1 – Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
1Jn 5:2 – By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 – For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (it is Christ’s faith because He alone has overcome the WORLD…He LIVES in US though, amen)
1Jn 5:5 – Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1Jn 5:6 – This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

Christ is here to destroy His flesh. Christ is here to destroy His body to bring life to it through purging it, burning it up with the fire of the Word of God. The Word of God says love God ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE. Love here is a verb. It’s an action. We KEEP it. We LIVE it!

2Jn 1:6 – And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
2Jn 1:7 – For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8 – Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9 – Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, (what we have been talking about all along) hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10 – If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11 – For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

I am not sure how it can be any clearer than that.

“Wait a minute, Steven. What about someone wanting to rape your wife and kill you and your family? What about someone wanting to rob and beat you?”

What about…. what Christ said about LOVING your ENEMIES?

I am not saying this will be easily understood, but loving my enemies is two-fold. There are those that would kill me for being Christian if I didn’t renounce it, but there are also those who are my enemies simply because, “how can two walk together unless they agree”. The person is not my enemy, but the Spirit within them is!

The world within them is the same world within me that Christ has overcome. So, if Christ is in me and not them at this present TIME, then I must let them know that the doctrine they bring is NOT WELCOME in my HOUSE.

“Steven, you are so cold…so mean, so cold-hearted!”

At that, I will tell you – eat, drink and be merry.

Eat, Drink and be Merry

I recently read an article on a website that states that the book of Ecclesiastes doesn’t belong in the bible because the author of it is too morbid, too depressed and too uninformed, because surely we are not equal to the beasts of the field which all go to the same place, the grave.

Interestingly, the very thing that this author was complaining about is EXACTLY what the writer was inspired to convey when penning this:

Ecc 8:15 – Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

Luk 12:19 – And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20 – But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21 – So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

It is also mentioned in Ecclesiastes that all that is given to man under the sun is a GIFT. Amazingly, we are brought back to where we find the title of this study. For the purpose of context and to hear the surrounding verses, I will read/offer Ecc 9 so that we can get a feel of the importance of the dead knowing nothing.

Ecc 9:1 – For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
Ecc 9:2 – All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Ecc 9:3 – This is an evil among all things that are one under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Ecc 9:4 – For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Ecc 9:5 – For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 – Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Ecc 9:7 – Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Ecc 9:8 – Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Ecc 9:9 – Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Ecc 9:10 – Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Ecc 9:11 – I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Ecc 9:12 – For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Ecc 9:13 – This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
Ecc 9:14 – There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Ecc 9:15 – Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Ecc 9:16 – Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Ecc 9:17 – The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Ecc 9:18 – Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

The natural man says “right on, I should be able to live my life the way I want”, but the spiritual new man vomits such things out of his mouth.

Rev 3:15 – I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 – So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Where is the line in the sand for any of us if we are dead? What is the doctrine that is so ingrained in your beliefs that you cannot go BACK to the Word of God and re-examine what the Word of God, Christ in YOU, has to say about the matter? The time is at hand, but a Pharisee or a Sadducee can’t recognize the time they’re in.

They’re stiff-necked in their mind. The Sadducee in us says there is no resurrection, admitting that Christ has not come in the flesh. We just went over that, yet we are given over to delusion from the Lord, and not one will be able to conquer that great divide.

When you are dead, YOU KNOW NOTHING! This applies both physically and SPIRITUALLY. When you are spiritually dead, you are deceived and don’t know it.

What happens when we die? I have an atheist friend who said to me that when you die that’s it; you’re just dead and well, he was partly right.

The dead know not anything. However, there is a resurrection of the just and the unjust and Christ is the resurrection. I die daily, yet Christ lives in me.

On the flip side, most Christians I know think we go to heaven or hell right away when we die, but how can that be?

What happens when we die physically?

Ecc 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Luk 23:46 – And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Joh 19:30 – When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Heb 9:27 – And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Wait, I die daily? Daily judgment? I thought it was only once? I am to judge my DAYS and everything therein? What kind of Faith is that? It is the Faith of Christ.

Rom 14:5 – One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

1Pe 4:17 – For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

If I die daily, how is it I care about the things that are in the world? The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life? If I am daily dead, what do I care about? I know nothing.

Alas, it is only given to a few to understand that the things that we are hated for, or rather Christ is hated for within us, are the same things that we have FREELY BEEN GIVEN TO UNDERSTAND.

1Co 3:21 – Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 – Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23 – And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

The old Adam in me hates the quickening Spirit there also. The old man Adam in others hates that same Christ within me. Christ is the Word of God. We bare His name on our foreheads and others hate the coat of many colors we wear along with it.

When we are given these things to understand then we are told we are going to be purged with the Word of God.

Eze 11:19 – And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Eze 11:20 – That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Eze 36:25 – Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
Eze 36:26 – A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Dying Daily to Live

When this happens, when we are given to see and hear the truth regarding this, thus starts the life-long process of being purged and dying daily. Just like a newborn, we start on milk and continue through to food, but we can’t learn everything all at once nor can we be cleansed all at once. It would kill us.

As this happens more and more in our lives, we will start to see fruit produced in us because if what you have is of Christ, then so then will the works of God be there. The works of God, His righteousness will be seen by everything within and without.

2Co 4:10 – Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 – For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12 – So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2Co 4:13 – We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 – Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 – For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 – For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

What part of the perishing of the outward man must we keep back for ourselves once the works of God are being manifest in our lives?

Luk 18:18 – And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luk 18:19 – And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Luk 18:20 – Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luk 18:21 – And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Luk 18:22 – Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luk 18:23 – And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
Luk 18:24 – And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

How hardly shall we, who start in our youth, coming behind in no gift, called to be Saints, enter into the kingdom of God if we treasure such riches!

Mat 6:19 – Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 – But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luk 12:33 – Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luk 12:34 – For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What do you have to sell? Judge now or be judged later. If you hold anything back, there will be no difference in the resurrection. It will be counted as loss.

Act 5:1 – But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 – And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:3 – But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 – Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5 – And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Act 5:6 – And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
Act 5:7 – And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
Act 5:8 – And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Act 5:9 – Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Act 5:10 – Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

Conclusion

Things of Old

Ecc 12:1 – Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Ecc 12:2 – While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
Ecc 12:3 – In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
Ecc 12:4 – And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
Ecc 12:5 – Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
Ecc 12:6 – Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Ecc 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Things New

Ecc 12:8 – Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
Ecc 12:9 – And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
Ecc 12:10 – The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
Ecc 12:11 – The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
Ecc 12:12 – And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Ecc 12:13 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 – For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.