The death of His faithful ones is valuable in the Lord’s sight.
and the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
The righteous one perishes, and no one takes it to heart; faithful men are swept away, with no one realizing that the righteous one is swept away from the presence of evil.
He will enter into peace — they will rest on their beds — everyone who lives uprightly.
“There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day.
But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was left at his gate.
He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores.
One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side.
‘Father Abraham! ’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame! ’
“ ‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.
Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’
“ ‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house —
because I have five brothers — to warn them, so they won’t also come to this place of torment.’
“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
They were stoning Stephen as he called out: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! ”
The last enemy to be abolished is death.
Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.
He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again
For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.
We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: The dead who die in the Lord from now on are blessed.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “let them rest from their labors, for their works follow them! ”