Jesus Is Calling Discussion Group

⁠I’ve been to funerals and hear people say that the deceased is in heaven looking down on us. Is this true and if so can they see everything that we do?

Many people attend funerals and hear statements such as, “They are in heaven looking down on us.” But is this really what the Bible teaches? The answer is no.

According to Scripture, when a person dies, the body returns to the earth and the breath of life returns to God. The Bible says:

“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” — Ecclesiastes 12:7

At a funeral, the body remains right there in the casket. After the service, it is taken to the cemetery and buried in the grave. The Bible never teaches that the dead are floating around in heaven watching the living. Instead, it teaches that death is an unconscious state.

King Solomon wrote:

“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing…” — Ecclesiastes 9:5

He also said:

“Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished…” — Ecclesiastes 9:6

And again:

“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” — Psalms 146:4

These verses make it clear that the dead are not conscious. They cannot think, speak, watch over people, or look down from heaven.

The Bible also teaches that God’s people will be raised from the grave at the second coming of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul declared:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout… and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Notice the Bible says the dead in Christ shall rise. If they were already alive in heaven watching over us, there would be no need for a resurrection. The resurrection happens because the dead are resting in the grave until Jesus returns.

The blessed hope of the believer is not that the dead are presently watching us from heaven, but that one day Jesus will return and raise His faithful children from the grave to eternal life.

So, this is a deception.

Genesis 2:7 says:

“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.” — Bible, Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

According to this verse, man did not receive a soul as something separate from himself. Rather, man became a living soul when two things were joined together: the body formed from the dust of the ground and the breath of life from God.

In simple terms:

Body (dust) + Breath of life from God = Living soul

So when death occurs, the reverse happens. The body returns to the dust, and the breath of life returns to God.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 says:

“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

Death, then, is the separation of the body and the breath of life. Once those two are separated, the living soul no longer exists as a conscious living being.

The body returns to dust.

The breath returns to God.

The person becomes unconscious in death, awaiting the resurrection and judgment.

The Bible also describes death as a sleep-like state of unconsciousness:

“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing…” — Ecclesiastes 9:5