Episode 107 - What happens when we die?

This For Your Journey episode explores the question of what happens when we die, noting that while culture offers many images and traditions, Scripture provides only glimpses of the mystery. District Apostle Schnabel clarifies, what we do know is that God created humanity in His image and gave each person an immortal soul. Death is not the end, but a continuation of the soul’s journey in relation to God. A soul’s condition in eternity is not earned through rituals or worldly success, but rests on one’s relationship with Him, as illustrated in Jesus’ parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16–21). Our lives are measured not by what we achieve but by being “rich toward God,” living in love for Him and neighbor.

The District Apostle cautions against shallow metaphors at funerals or when offering comfort to those going through the grief of loss, urging instead that comfort be rooted in God’s consistent character: He is loving, just, and desires all to be saved. Jesus showed this in the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12–14) and through His descent to the departed after His death (1 Peter 3:18–20), while Paul assures that Christ is Lord of both the living and the dead (Romans 14:9). The hopeful message is that every soul continues to grow and develop in eternity, always dependent on God’s grace. As Revelation 14:13 reminds us, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… their deeds follow them.” Though Scripture does not answer every detail about the afterlife, it reveals enough: God is perfect, compassionate, and unfailing in His work of salvation, offering real hope and comfort to both the grieving and the living.