It was Satan himself that spoke through the serpent in the garden. He deceived the woman with words which questioned God's motive behind prohibiting Adam and his wife from eating of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden. And it has been so ever since that fateful day. Satan has not changed his charge against the authority and motives of God. And he has largely been successful in deceiving the human race that death is not the absence of life. Somehow, man has gotten the idea that a soul lives on at the moment of death. But this flies in the face of scripture after scripture that describes death as a dreamless sleep. Before we go on, let us go back to Genesis 2 to find out what are the actual ingredients that go into making a living soul.
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.
Notice that God did not put a living soul into a body, but the soul was the result of the union between a body and the breath of life. If you were a mathematician, and were asked to solve this as a word problem, you would likely arrive at a very simple formula which would not take a lot of thought. In fact the average 6th grader can usually solve word problems much more complex than this:
Body + Breath = Living Soul
If you subtract breath from soul, you are left with a lifeless body. Without the body, there is no vehicle to contain the breath.
Psalm 146:2-4 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being..... His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Living Soul - Breath = Body
Living Soul - Body = Breath

[Jesus,as our creator, is the only one in the universe that has the ability to remake us into the same individuals that we are.]

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Let's go back again and listen to what Eve told the serpent that God had told her:
Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
What was God's pronouncement to Adam when he confronted them with their disobedience to his command not to eat of the tree?
Genesis 3: 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Because man had broken the commandment of God, not to eat of the tree, he would be banished from the garden of Eden. But there was another important reason for his banishment; read it in Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
If Adam could continue to have access to the tree of life, then he would continue on immortal. God could not permit this, for Adam was now become a sinner, and as such he must pay for his sins with his life. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So far we have seen two opposing statements found in the very opening chapters of Genesis. The statement from God: Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the opposite statement made by the serpent to Eve: Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.
When I die, do I go somewhere to experience another state of being? Ecclesiastes 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.
The traditional teachings of the church tell us that the soul is immortal, and that at death our soul continues in some other dimension. But the Bible tells us: Ezekial 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Eze 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

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

Do I go to be either punished or rewarded as soon as I die?
Acts 2:29 Brethren, I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day. 34 For David ascended not into the heavens:..
Can I communicate with someone who is dead?
Leviticus 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. Isaiah 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? In other words, why would we look for the living among the dead?

Was Jesus in heaven while His body was in the tomb, before his resurrection?
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Is it important to know what happens after you die?
1 Thesselonians 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.

What did Jesus say about the nature of death? How did Jesus describe death?
John 11: 11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they
shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

The most remarkable of miracles that set Jesus apart from all before Him was the miracle of bringing the dead back to life. By the time Jesus and his disciples made it to Bethany they found that Lazarus had been in the grave for four days ! [This was definitely NOT a near death experience ! ] Jesus was probably several blocks away yet, when Lazarus' sister, Martha, reached Him after rushing from her house to meet Him. She at once displays her grief, and her disappointment that Jesus had not come sooner. She says to Jesus that if He had been there, her brother would not have died, for she believed that Jesus could have healed him. But then she also shows that she has at least a sliver of hope that Jesus can still do something for Lazarus, when she says:
John 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Now look carefully at the next two verses, for they show us a glimpse into the belief held by Martha, a student of Jesus' teachings, concerning the nature of death, and of the resurrection.
John 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Perhaps Martha had been studying the scriptures: She certainly would have had only the Old Testament to read at this time, for the New Testament had not been written yet. What Old Testament scriptures would she have had on which to base her belief in a resurrection at the last day?
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: {And...: or, After I shall awake, though this body be destroyed, yet out of my flesh} 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. {another: Heb. a stranger} {though...: or, my reins within me are consumed with earnest desire (for that day)} {within...: Heb. in my bosom}

Daniel 12: 1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Can this refer to the great tribulation? [  ]

If Martha could have read the New Testament, she might have read in
1 Thesselonians 4:13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 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 prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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.
Perhaps Martha had read Daniel 12: 9
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.......... 13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. And understood it to mean that he would sleep until the resurrection. What about Daniel himself? Did he believe death to be a sleep? Go back in the same chapter and read again: Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Perhaps Martha was familiar with the words of the scriptures in Ecclesiastes 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. 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.
[Editor's Note--There are two ways in which the bible uses the term "forever". One meaning is the one most often associated with our modern usage and refers to something eternal, or without end. The other meaning is one used in ancient times to refer to something that may last a long time but that meets a natural end to its current state. A candle might have been said to burn "forever" even though it was understood to mean that it would burn until there was nothing left of it. Notice how Jonah uses the term in his prayer from within the belly of the great fish within which he spent three days: Jonah 2:5  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.  6  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever:  Statements which apply to the ultimate fate of the wicked, for instance, show us that there is a punishment which is "everlasting," but that leaves very little trace of the wicked when it is done doing its work. viz., Isa 5:24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. If you do not apply this alternative interpretation of 'forever' to these verses, then indeed you must arrive at the very lopsided conclusion, as many do, that the lake of fire, often referred to as "hell fire," lasts as long as eternity in the same sense as eternal life does, and that for the sins of a brief life on earth, the lost are punished throughout all eternity.]
 

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Those that are 'deceived' will think that they are doing right. When the antichrist is revealed he will show himself to be, as it were, God. He will gain the attention, and admiration of the world. He will deceive those who know not the difference between the doctrines of the Word of God, and those of the false prophet. These will be a people who worship, but their worship is not directed to the true God, but to the image of the beast.
Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

Revelation 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
 

Just as it has been throughout history, there will be only a small number that hang on to the truth as it is in the Word of God. Who will not bow the knee to the antichrist, his image or give allegiance to him. While the multitudes go with the tide of popular opinion, the followers of the truth will remain steadfast to the end.
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: {strait: or, narrow} 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

It is this writers opinion that a belief that the dead are anything but dead, that is, asleep, will be used by Satan in his work to deceive who he can into worshipping the image of the beast (the antichrist). A belief in the 'immortality of the soul' will lead some to accept the very convincing deceptions of Satan, when he will not only personate Christ himself, but will supposedly communicate his deception through the supposed spirits of those loved ones who have died before us.
Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 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. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Read the Bible and pray for understanding. Don't take my word for it. Study this subject for yourself.
Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
It is by your own study of the Word of God, that you will be able to see through the soon coming deception that will come upon this planet.
 
 

Have you ever slept so soundly that you were surprised when you woke up to find that either it was the next morning, or only a couple of hours had passed by? You had been in such deep sleep that your sense of time had failed you. Imagine, then, a dreamless state in which you have no sense of the passing of time. Perhaps, like Stephen, you may give up your life with the very vision of the return of Jesus.
I believe that time ceases to be relevant at the time of death. What ever your last conscious thought is when you die, is followed immediately by the next conscious thought. If the next conscious thought happens 2 minutes, or 2 centuries apart, to the subject that has been unconscious without any sense of time, it is but a mere moment from one thought to the next.
Stephen was stoned to death for speaking out the truth. But his last thoughts and declarations to those around him were of his perception of Jesus on His heavenly throne.
When Stephen wakes up he will have no knowledge of the centuries of history that have passed him by. To him, when the trumpet of God sounds, and he wakes up to be taken into the clouds, it will be as if it had been just a moment of time.

It is my personal conviction that God often performs a special miracle at the moment of the death of a martyr. Read the following verse spoken by Jesus:
Mt 16:28  Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Can it be that our Lord miraculously spares some of His saints the agony of the actual pain of death or martyrdom, and puts them to sleep in a way that they never experience the agony of dying?
Also note that this particular verse does not imply that these individuals go straight to heaven. Notice that they are there to see Jesus (The Son of man) at the second coming.
Another possiblility that I may suggest at the risk of losing some credibility is the possiblility of time travel, that is, they are transported forward, in time, to this point in the future. [Are all things really possible for God?]
 
Stephen will recognize what is happening. He will know who he is, and that he has been asleep in the earth. Just as Daniel in the 12th chapter of his book speaks of sleeping in the dust of the earth until the end of time. Daniel too, will recognize what is happening when he hears the trump of God sounding, and the Lord calling him to wake up!
Satan's lie says that we do not die. Satan would have us believe that we only go to a different more desirable level of existence. He would have us believe that we can communicate with our loved ones who have passed away. In the closing scenes of earth’s history Satan will present humanity with an overwhelming deception that will tempt even the faithful to believe it.
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

In our day to day activities, we are continually tested and our characters continually shaped. Our actions in the face of adversity are shaped by the decisions which we have exercised under more peaceful circumstances. But there is trouble coming. A time of trouble such as has never before been in all of earth’s history, and such as will never be again. The Mother of all Tribulations will be the ultimate test. Will God have a people that can stand the test? Will Satan be able to fool you?
If you study the Bible and learn that death is a sleep, you will not be fooled when Satan tries to deceive you into believing the apparitions of your lost loved ones. Their advice to you to follow the false Christ will not be able to deceive you. Satan's false resurrections will not deceive you.
If you read and study the Bible, then you will be armed with the knowledge that Christ's return will be much different than His first advent.
Unlike Jesus' obscure beginning in Bethlehem at His first advent, there will be nothing obscure about His return, for every living being will perceive it.
Matthew 24 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
If you are familiar with this verse, and have studied diligently, then anything short of a glorious, overwhelming, calamitous return of Christ in the clouds will not convince you that Christ is somewhere arrived on earth.

Those that were dead and are brought back to life, rise into the air to meet the Lord there.
AFTER the dead are resurrected, THEN the living saints are caught up together with them in the clouds to join the Lord. "and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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:"

Still no mention of a landing!
[This is very significant when you study the subject of the millennium and the location of the saints during the millennium.]

The living saints (Those alive at the time of the return of Christ AND those who are resurrected) are ever more with the Lord from this point on.

As is true in the fields of physics, mathematics and all of science, the conclusions that we make regarding doctrinal points rely completely upon the basic assumptions that we make. A conclusion may only be true when based on a correct hypothesis.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

If we assume that Paul was not confused, but was in fact an inspired writer, then we must look at his description of the return of Christ carefully. We must compare his writings with other texts and search to see if they agree with each other.
There is a handful of texts that appear to contradict the doctrine of death as a sleep, but upon close inspection you may find that these texts do not present themselves as doctrinal statements, but rather are allegorical in nature. Add to this the fact that you would be pitting these few texts against the multitude of passages that uphold the idea of death as a sleep [Some refer to the Bible description of death as 'SOUL SLEEP'] and you should see that it does not make sense to uphold those texts as anything but allegory.

Most doctrinal differences between the Christian denominations, arise from differences in their basic assumptions about the nature of God, life and the struggle of humanity against evil. We all are looking at the very same words of scripture, but come away with different interpretations about their meaning. Those different interpretations are the result of different basic assumptions. Many of these assumptions are the creation of man. The safest assumption is to believe that the Bible is the living word of God, and that it is fully capable of clarifying itself.

In all cases, we may choose to look for the Bible to clarify itself within other passages of scripture. We can rely on the Word of God to explain itself. We do have a choice, we can believe what the Word of God says, or we can believe what other human beings say that it says. It is our duty, as believers, to study and search the scriptures for ourselves that we may obtain the knowledge upon which our salvation depends. Heed the following warning:
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

1 Corinthians 15:20 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."