Reincarnation is seen as a rebirth of a soul into another world. Many literary scholars have written about reincarnation emphasizing reincarnation as passing from one place to another and passing from one body to another. According to the poem of Deola Adelakun titled “Reincarnation”.
Reincarnation
As above, so below
Die here if you, you surely wake up
To another world
Your life here is not forever
You will later join the ancestors
As tenants, we live here
In thatched huts, we dwell
Too soon, the tropic storm will out-blow
The flicks ring lights of human life
To our permanent dwelling home
We wake up after.
The poet follows the line of Soyinka who also believes that there is another world or place after death. As we are doing on earth; the same they are doing in heaven. If we die here, we should wake up with another body in another place. It is believed that this world is not forever.
As the poem above implies, the Bible explains that there is life after death. This is also the hope of Christians that one day, we shall have the last breath which we take us to eternity. It is affirmed that those who believe in Jesus Christ will be carried away by the angels after death while unbelievers will face the Judgments. (Luke 16: 23-24; Ecclesiastes 12: 7; Thessalonians 4: 14; 17-18.) We shall discuss what the Bible says about life after death.
Judgment after death
“Just as a man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Hebrews 9: 27
There is no doubt to say that all the efforts of man on this planet Earth will end one day. No matter what you have or who you are, death is inevitable because it is destined for man. After the man dies is the judgment. The question you might ask me is what judgment? Your judgment determines your life in this world and how you live your life. Read further Hebrews 9: 27; 2 Corinthians 5: 10.
Life after death
“If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service, I will wait to call and I will answer you. Job 14: 14.
Your existence on this earth is not forever. You still have a second life somewhere to live. Your life here will determine how you will live your second life. There is no doubt about life after death. If everyone here dies, there is still another life to live. What kind of life are you living here? What do you think will end your life on this earth? Do you ever think of another life after this life? These kinds of life must be asked to consider your ways always. Read further Luke 16: 19-31; Job 14: 14; Mathew 25: 46.
Punishment after death
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Mathew 25: 46.
There are two rewards in heaven: punishment and enjoyment. The Bible says that the punishment is for those who do evil and do not serve God while enjoyment is for those who do well and serve God well. Eternal punishment exists after death; your life does not end without a reward. The reward is tense and the result is negative. Read further Mathew 25: 46; 2 Samuel 14: 14.
Dust after death
“And the dust returns to the ground it came from and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12: 7.
No matter how long the man is kept after death, he will eventually become dust. The reason is that we came or were made from dust and have to return to dust. Everybody on this earth is dust, whether you are rich or not; you are beautiful or ugly; you are handsome or not; you are tall or short; you are cute or not; you have influence or not; you are in the position or not, remember always that you are dust, you will return to dust one day. Read further Ecclesiastes 12: 7.
Grave after death
“As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more.” Job 7: 9-10
It has been heard that there are traditions that usually burn dead bodies instead of burying them. Whether the dead body is burnt or buried, the immediate home of a man is grave. No matter who you are when you are on Earth. Even if you are burnt, you will still get back to the grave. Everyone must think of this to guide us on how we live our lives here because our lives are short on Earth. This place is like a market that will get back home after the transaction. Read further Job 7: 9-10.
No more prayer and fasting after death
“But now that is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him but he will return to me.” 2 Samuel 12: 23.
We can help one another in prayers and fasting when only we are on this earth. After death, prayer and fasting ceased. The Bible says we should pray for the dead again. His deeps will follow him. No number of prayers can work for the dead bodies again. When we are on earth, let good work and deeds be our priority. When we have the last breath, we are on our own in the grave and in the second life which is heaven. Read further 2 Samuel 12: 23.
No return to life after death
“Only a few years will pass before I go on the journey of no return” Job 16: 22.
Heaven is a permanent home. It is where we shall live forever after death. We should understand that heaven is a journey of no return. After we die here, we cannot return here. It is whether you go to hell or you go to paradise. According to the belief of the Christians, heaven is divided into two parts, namely paradise and hell. Which one you are preparing for? Read further Job 16: 22; 10: 21.
Paradise after death
“Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth today you will be with in paradise.” Luke 23: 43.
The conversation between Jesus and the criminal on the cross here showed that there was a paradise. Paradise is a symbol of the eternal home where every genuine Christian will end their life. The eternal home after death is a hope for the children of God. Read further Ecclesiastes 12: 5; 2 Corinthians 5: 1; Luke 23: 43.
Burning sulfur after death
“But cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21: 8.
This is serious. The second death for evildoers after death is hell. Hellfire is the place of affliction, distress, suffering, tribulation, pain, and the like. That is why the Bible says that those who do evils will eventually end in hell where burning sulfur is active. Read further Revelation 21: 8; John 5: 28-29.
Meeting God after death
“We are confident; I say and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5: 8
It is sure that when we die, we shall meet God. The Christians do not die in vain but they die in hope. The hope is to see God at the end of the day. We are confident that Christians’ lives are in safe hands through Jesus Christ. Read further Job 19: 26; 2 Corinthians 5: 1-8.
Shame and everlasting life after death
“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12: 2
There are two things to happen in heaven. There is shame and there is everlasting life. The Bible says that there is a shame for evil-doers and there is eternal life for genuine Christians. No one can be in the middle, either you are in hell or you are in paradise. Read further John 5: 28-29; Daniel 12: 2; Romans 6: 23.
The end of humans is death
“But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.” Job 14: 10
Several views have come up about life after death. Even many scholars of literature and literary works write to believe in reincarnation emphasizing that there is another life after death. The life, according to scholars like Soyinka believes that life may be heaven or another society. But Christians believe that another life is heaven which may be paradise or hell. Read further Job 14: 10.
Conclusion
We have discussed what will be life after death. As Christians, we should out the activities of this world. We should think of our permanent home. The home we shall live forever where there will be no tribulations and pains.
