One of the saddest things I have ever had to do, was go to a funeral for a little girl who was hit and killed by a car. In the funeral the minister talked about how much fun Jesus and the little girl were having in heaven right now. I thought, how cruel the minister is making Jesus look to the girl’s poor mother. Jesus does not break our hearts and tear our world apart so He can have fun with our loved ones while we suffer. Jesus will be reunited with the little girl the same time the mother is-at the second coming. This is why it is so important to study the topic of death in the light of the cross and the light of God’s love. 

The minister even tried to use David as an example, claiming that when he died, he went straight to heaven to be with his son who had died. After the service I wanted to mention to the minister what Peter said in Acts 2 while sharing the prophecies about Jesus in Scripture. 

“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” Acts 2:34-35 NKJV

Peter makes it clear that David’s prophecy was about Jesus and not himself, as David has not gone to heaven yet, but remains in his grave, awaiting the resurrection. 

The minister then talked about how the little girl who died is now an angel watching over us. Many believe that angels are our dead loved ones. They find comfort in the false idea that our dead loved ones are watching over us, but this lie not only leads to spiritualism, but it also leads to idolatry as it puts dead loved ones in the place of God. I find it comforting knowing God is watching over me. Why would I think my dead loved ones watching over me would be more comforting than God watching over me, when my soul hungers and thirsts for God’s love more than my family’s love? 

Nowhere does the Bible teach that our dead loved ones are angels. As a matter of fact, in Genesis we read:

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24 NKJV

We all know Cherubim are angels, In Genesis 3 we have angels before anyone has died. Therefore, angels are clearly not our dead loved ones. God Himself and the angels of heaven are watching over us now, while our dead ones are resting from their labors. I find that way more thrilling and amazing than the lie that my dead loved ones are watching over me. Prophecy teaches me our dead loved ones are taking a deserved rest. 

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” Revelation 14:13 NKJV

While we are looking at Genesis and Revelation lets look at another passage that has been skewed by the lie of spiritualism. 

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. Revelation 6:9-11 NKJV

Many twist this passage to say that the souls of dead loved ones are literally under the altar in heaven. This makes no sense literally as we will not be living under the altar in heaven. Plus, if the dead are currently in heaven why would they be asking for vengeance against those who put them in heaven? Remember in Genesis 4:10 God tells Cain that Abel’s blood was crying out for vengeance. Abel’s blood was not literally crying out. It was symbolic. the situation was symbolically crying out for justice. Likewise in Revelation 6:9-11 it is the situation that symbolically cries out for justice, as the passage goes on to explain, while the dead continue to rest. 

From Genesis to Revelation the Bible is clear that God is love. God loves us more than our family loves us, and therefore the truth about God and angels is comforting, knowing God Himself and His angels are watching over us, and not our dead loved ones. God is also not going to tear a young mother’s world apart so He can go have fun with the mother’s child. When a child dies, God will be reunited with the child the same time the mother is, at the second coming. 

From Genesis to Revelation, we see the truth about the state of the dead, in the light of the cross and God’s love. 

You may study this week’s sabbath School lesson here.