Family Death

Understanding the Christian Perspective on Family Deaths

Live from the Mecca of Mormonism, Salt Lake City, this is heart of the matterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology., where we are learning together how to live as Christians in the age of fulfillment.

Show 17A Family Deaths
Taped Tuesday March 7th
Aired Monday April 13th, 2020

Our Christian families in this age of fulfillment started with marriage, and in some cases adultery and in some cases divorce and then, in some cases, a baby, and then other babies if we are so inclined. We have talked about raising them, schooling, discipline, and then occupations last week. Now, I want to speak to you about a sensitive subject that is in some ways timely: the deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. of someone in our family. This is frankly a really painful topic because the death of a loved one is one of the most horrific, painful, heart-wrenching, faith-shattering events in the human experience.

On Death and Control

Interestingly enough, not one of us escapes this life without going through it, and we often have zero—and I mean zero—control over it. I put it this way because we do seem to have some control over it, like when a person is choking to death, because if we step in and give them a successful Heimlich maneuver, it seems like we can have a hand in thwarting it. But in the same breath, we know of people who get a common cold, and there doesn’t seem to be any power on earth that can keep them alive. So, death can, does, and will come.

The Apostolic Christian View of Death

Now, this is really important information, and you must hear it before we get to the Christian outlook on death. If I was a Jew living under the law, OR if I was a Christian in the apostolic church waiting for Jesus to return, death would, in some very real ways, mean something different to my being a Christian living today. Hear me clearly: IF I was a Jew and was privy to the afterlife experience in that day, I would react to the death of loved ones very differently than I would today because, in that day, everyone who died went to sheol, or the covered place—everyone. If I had a rebellious child who died, I would bemoan this death more than ever because I would know that that child went to the prison part of sheol, which is what we would commonly call hell.

And that is where they would stay until the birth, life, death, resurrection, and return of the Promised Messiah. In other words, nobody went to heaven in that day; all were separated from God in that day, and many or most who were not faithful went to the dark separate place of torment. So the response to the death of a loved one would have, in the face of this knowledge, been horrible. And death was horrible, and shattering, and sobering. When Jesus came to earth, and up until he died and resurrected, and then up until He returned for His own, establishing the New JerusalemThe spiritual reality of God's fulfilled presence with humanity—replacing Sheol after 70 A.D. and overcoming all things, everyone then, who died faithlessly, died and went to sheol—the covered place. And they remained there until Jesus returned to wrap up the age.

Those who were faithful died and went to Abraham’s bosom in that day and did so until Jesus resurrected, and then they went into the presence of God. So even up until the 70AD destruction, the death of an unbeliever in Jesus would have meant a trip to the prison part of sheol where all souls from Adam until that day waited to get out. Got that?

So, the death of an unbeliever in the apostolic age would have also been a mournful troubling passing—more so than most because the destiny of the deceased who did not believe and look to Jesus would have been hell or sheol, where there was weeping and wailing went on until . . . until the fulfillment of this passage in Revelation 20:13-14:

“and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

This would all occur when? When Jesus would return, that’s when. He would return as promised for His bride, He would rescue her from certain destruction, and this would inaugurate the new age with a new heaven and a new earth and a new Jerusalem that was established above.

The Age of Spiritual Victory

hell were poured out and stood before the Great White Throne and were judged according to their works, and then death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire, and the full effects of the victory of Christ would be known spiritually in the hearts of those who believe. You got all that? We have been living in that age since the wrapping up of the former age of material religionThe biblical era of temples, laws, and rituals—ended in 70 A.D. to make way for spiritual freedom.. God has been writing his laws on the hearts and minds of all who are His, and the Kingdom of GodGod’s spiritual reign—fulfilled and present, not political or future. has been reigning on earth from within the hearts of true believers.

At the physical passing of a believer, a disciple of Christ, a Son or Daughter of God, that person moves from being a distant citizen of the New Jerusalem to being an actual resident of that heavenly home. They would have received their resurrected body from God and would have entered His Kingdom where he and Christ dwell. That destination is beyond compare and while we certainly miss our beloved ones in the flesh, there is no real tragedy in their passing. It is a time of real rejoicing for them. And I sincerely believe this though I personally mourn over the physical death of all people.

This is the ultimate “ars moriendi” or good death – when a loved one who has received Christ by faith and passes on from this physical realm while in possession of that faith. That is the ultimate good death. We have had some beautiful souls pass from our gathering here in Murray Utah over the past few years.

The Assurance of Eternal Life

Judy
Heidi
Mike
Diana
Ken

All of them left this earth too early, all of them are missed greatly but by golly I am personally convinced that they all entered into the realms of His light and love then and forever more, making the sting of their deaths much less painful… by faith. So that is the best-case scenario but I want to point something out to you that is really important. The Gospel is called the Good News. And that is what it is – good news – for all.

In that Gospel or Good News we learn the following:

• Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world – believer and not.
• That every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
• And that because of His victory the afterlife destination which was once in place – hell – is over, for all. All! As all have been reconciled to the Father by His life, death and resurrection!

The Hope for Unbelievers

So what does this mean for those who are NOT of the faith, what does this mean for rebellious children, for unbelieving friends, for babies or children who die without having faith or for family and friends who turn from the faith. Let me tell you what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean hell, burning or afterlife torture. Those things from that age are done. It means light. It means revelation. It means understanding. It means opportunity. It means relief of earthly pains and burdens. It means entrance into realms of spirit and truth.

Does it mean all go into the presence of God and Christ? Not immediately it doesn’t. Only those who receive Christ by faith are citizens of His kingdom. But this is not to say that at death their knees do not bow nor their tongues will not confess him, does it. My whole point here is that the death of the lost or recalcitrant, the death of children and of babies, is by no means a death sentence. Remember what scripture called death and hell being cast into the lake of Fire – it called it the Second Death, right.

So our departed loved ones enter, because of Christ, into the realms of light above. And they have revealed to them the Goodness of God, His Son, and they are in the hands of the eternal God who loves them, and is unconditionally there for them, always calling, always reaching for them to receive His Son, His love, His goodness, and to come into His kingdom. In the end, the scripture says that there is no reasons to fret or fear for those loved ones who depart from this life without a knowledge of the Lord – they will have it – for he has had the total victory over all things. And we as believers, and those who are not, are beneficiaries of what God has done.

The Hope for Those Who Have Passed

Children to death by accident, or by suicide or by overdose, if you have parents who have died unbelievers, or babies pass in the night, the news is beyond good. It is great.

All because of our Great God and His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Discussion and Engagement

Write your questions or comments below. We will read and discuss them tomorrow night – here on Heart of the Matter.