WHO CAN TELL WHAT LIES ON THE OTHER SIDE?

In preparation for these discussion questions and the DVD lecture, please read:

CHAPTER 1,Attempting to Peek behind the Curtain"CHAPTER 2,"The Descent into Gloom"

From the Author

Denial, anger, fear, depression, and helpless resignation—all these feelings erupt in the hearts of those who face death. No matter that death is common to the human race; each person must face it individually. No one can endure this moment for us. Friends and family can walk only as far as the curtain; the dying one must disappear behind the veil alone.

Naturally, we would like to know in advance what we can expect on the other side. Human nature being what it is, we grasp for some clue, some hint we might glean from those who are about to cross the boundary.

Reincarnation, altered states of consciousness, and glad reunions in a metaphysical place such as heaven are popular themes at the box office. Dozens of movies portray the enchantment of the life beyond. Fear of death has been supplanted by blissful feelings about a hereafter where everyone ends happily reunited. There is no judgment, no careful review of one's life. To be sure, death has mystery, we are told, but it is not to be dreaded.

How legitimate are reported glimpses from behind the curtain? Many are convinced that the immortality of the soul is now confirmed by paranormal experiences that can have no other explanation than that the soul does survive the death of the body. But can reliable information be transmitted back to earth by those who tell us what they have seen and heard from the other side?

Although we have no reason to think that we can peer behind the curtain and report what we have found, we can gratefully accept all that God has shown to us in His Word.

ENGAGING THE TOPIC

Answer these questions while watching the DVD and reading the book.

1. Life's last great mystery is death. We must all face this mystery __________.

2. Those who engage in the occult practice of channeling claim they are speaking with the __________.

3. Followers of the doctrine of reincarnation hold that death itself does not __________.

4. Usually, near-death experiences involve a person's soul being separated from their __________.

5. Near-death experiences may not reflect the __________ experiences of life beyond death.

6. Authoritative and reliable information about what exists beyond death comes to us only from what God reveals to us in the __________.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What personal experiences can you share as you think about the topic of death? Do you fear death or do you welcome it?

2. What are some dangers channeling presents to its practitioners? How do demonic spirits influence this activity?

3. Read Deuteronomy 18:11–12 and Isaiah 8:19–20. What do these passages tell us about God's view of one's consulting a medium?

4. From a biblical point of view, how may we explain the phenomenon of ghosts? What should be our position regarding this phenomenon?

5. Discuss the doctrine of reincarnation. What are its basic premises?

6. Discuss 2 Corinthians 11:14 and Satan's practice of duplicating God's light by disguising himself as "an angel of light." What other deceptions and substitutions for truth might we find within these occult practices?

7. Discuss the qualifications of Jesus in telling us what lies on "the other side."

8. Describe your understanding of the concept of sheol. How would you explain your view to someone?

9. What Greek word is used in the New Testament to translate the Hebrew sheol. What do you think the story Jesus told in Luke 16 teaches us about the afterlife?

PERSONAL REFLECTION

For the believer in Christ, we have a glimpse beyond the curtain, and it is based on the authoritative Word of God. Christ has risen from the dead and in doing so has conquered death. We can have no greater assurance regarding death than from the risen Christ: "I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades" (Revelation 1:18).

If you are a Christian, you may rejoice that death is not an enemy to be feared. The apostle Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 15:55, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sin that gave death its sting has been conquered by our Lord (w. 56–57).

We may go about our walk of faith, confidently anticipating death. As Paul wrote to the Corinthian church: "We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him" (2 Corinthians 5:6–9).

Even so, death has mysteries that must be explored. In the next section, we will discuss what unbelievers experience at death.

Engaging the Topic answers:

1. Alone 2. Dead 3. Exist 4. Body 5. True 6. Bible

WHAT DO UNBELIEVERS EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY DIE?

In preparation for these discussion questions and the DVD lecture, please read:

CHAPTER 2, "The Descent into Gloom"

From the Author

Death, we must remember, is the consequence of Adam and Eve's disobedience in the garden of Eden. God had warned them that if they ate the forbidden fruit, they would die. And die they did. They died spiritually in that they were separated from God and tried to hide from Him. They also began to die physically, as their bodies had begun the journey to the grave. And if Adam and Eve had not been redeemed by God, they would have died eternally, which is the third form of death. From the original disobedience in Eden, death in all its forms began its trek throughout the world.

As we learned in the last session, the most important word in the Old Testament that speaks of the afterlife is the Hebrew word sheol. So here are some facts we should know in order to understand what the Old Testament means by the word sheol. First, there is a clear distinction between the grave, where the body rests, and sheol, where the spirits of the dead gather. Second, sheol is often spoken of as a shadowy place of darkness, a place that is not part of this existence. Third, after death one can be united with his ancestors in sheol.

In the New Testament, we find sheol translated by the Greek word hades. The New Testament pulls back the curtain so that we can see into hades (or sheol) with more clarity. Here we are given some very specific details about what hades is like, both for those who die as believers as well as those who die as...