Today we are going to take a look at the timing of a person’s passing. If you are a believer, I believe as you see what the Word of God makes clear concerning the subject, it will encourage your heart. There is no doubt, every one of us will face that event in our lifetime. I pray you will receive a revelation of the reality of heaven for believers today. In Him, Eric

I have officiated at many funerals in my time as a pastor. There was the service we had for an infant who passed away from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), with no other indicator of what caused the baby’s passing. Then there was a nineteen year old young man who had been ill for some time, who was ready to enter into the presence of God. I had a double service for a mother and father who had been murdered by their twelve year old son, because he could not deal with the abuse any longer. More recently, I had the privilege of having the service for one of my best friends, Coopie, a man who lived well and passed away in his mid-eighties, following a very brief illness.

Funerals give opportunity for a family to gain closure and have a chance to respectfully honor the memory of the deceased. Funerals are most significant for the living rather than for the one who has died. Eternity has already been settled for the one who has passed. The living though, need to be comforted and assured of their loved one’s state. When people have lost a loved one, those individuals are more aware of their own mortality and consider their own eternity more seriously. No one should leave a funeral service without having heard of the necessity of receiving Christ as Lord and Savior and how to obtain it.

Did you notice the various ages of those whose services I officiated at? Think for a minute, if you will, that none of them knew the moment in time, when their spirit would leave their body and their last breath would be taken.

God created man as an eternal being. God created Adam, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (which is God’s own breath), and placed him in the garden of Eden.

At that point, God commanded Adam that he could eat the fruit of every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Look at what God spoke to Adam regarding that - “For in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die!” (Genesis 2:15-17 NKJV).

God’s design and intention for man was that he would live forever, however, when man disobeyer or sinned, man’s relationship with God was affected and death entered the earth. That death included: “man’s spiritual, moral, social, relational, and ultimately his physical being.” (Textual notes from Genesis 2:17 in the NSFLB).

However, there is no need for despair for the believer, because God had a plan! He sent His own Son, Jesus, to sacrifice His life so we could be reconciled to right relationship with God.

Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) reads, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” The Greek word ‘apokeimai’, which has been translated ‘appointed’ means: reserved for one; awaiting him. ‘To die’ means to be no more or to be dead. Man’s physical body dies when the spirit leaves the body. Notice though that this verse ends with the phrase, “after that comes judgment.” So, this verse reveals : that every man’s physical body is going to die and that death does not end our conscious existence. We are created in the image of God, thus, when the physical body dies, our spirit lives on.

What takes place for the believer, at that point, is that we enter into eternity which brings us to the restoration of the initial relationship God intended for his creation which was the one He had with Adam before the fall. Because of Jesus, our physical death is not the end, it is only the beginning!

What I would like us to focus on for the remainder of this post, in relation to death, is the answer to the question, “When?” We have already come to understand that because of man’s sin, the death rate of humans is 100%. Every single human ever born will face that event at the end of their lifetime here on the planet.

In Psalm 31:15a (NKJV), David declared, “My times are in Your hand.” Barnes Notes on the Bible expounds of this portion of Scripture in this way: “All that pertained to him (King David) was under the control and at the disposal of God. He would ‘live’ as long as God should please. It was His to give life, His to preserve it; His to take it away. All in relation to life - its origin - its continuance - its changes - its seasons - childhood, youth, middle age, old age - all was in the hand of God.” This truth applies to every believer in Christ.

We shall live as long as God has appointed. That word ‘appointed,’ in Hebrew 9:27, which we looked at earlier, is vital and dynamic because it reveals that God has established and made a reservation or appointment that will fulfill His plan and purpose for each one of us.

Every day which God has established for each of us, was written in His book for us, before we were born. (Psalm 139:1,NLT). Barnes Notes on the Bible added, “When my substance - my- form- was not yet developed, when yet an embryo, and when nothing could be determined from that by the eye of man as to what I was to be, all the future was known to God, and was written down - just what should be my form and vigor; how long I should live; what I should be; and what would be the events of my life.” God is Sovereign!

(Refer to the post from (5/29/24).

This earth is not our home (Hebrews 11:13-16 CSB). One day we will come to our appointed time and enter into our eternity in God’s presence!

The wonderful news is that we are told of the marvelous provision of the ‘place’ Jesus is preparing for believers, so that when we leave our physical body, we may be with Him. (John 14:1-4 NIV).

Believers have an eternal home in heaven and when we are absent from the body, we will be present with Him. (2 Corinthians 5:1 and 8 (NIV). There will be no delay in our arrival into His presence.

Philippians 1:21 teaches us that when we are alive in our physical body, our life is to be devoted to Christ. However, when our physical body dies, we will be in His very presence and glory - which is a huge gain!!

Paul wrote in Romans 8:18 (ESV) that our present sufferings (misfortune, calamity, evil, and afflictions) are not even worth comparing with the glory we enter into, by coming into His presence!

Even though we are sojourners on the earth, while here, we are to obediently fulfill His purpose, plan, and will for us. We can know and learn what His purpose, plan, and will are for us through reading His Word and spending time in prayer.

God created us, has a plan for us, and is waiting for our arrival in heaven! In fact, Psalm 116: 15 reveals, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

So, what do we know?

Death is certain.

Death can occur suddenly.

Life and death are separated from one breath to the next.

Death is the door that leads to eternity.

When my wife’s mother passed away a year and a half ago, Donna was not present and received a phone call from her niece, letting her know. She was told that a number of the members of the family were present and visiting quietly. Suddenly, another niece spoke up and said, “Is she breathing?” Everyone focused on Mom to see if they could detect a rising chest. They immediately got the nurse, who verified that she had peaceably passed into eternity. It happened from one breath to the next and there was no struggle at all! Praise God!

As believers, we have been assured through the Word of God that heaven is unequivocally better than earth. As a believer, when we die, we enter into the glory of the Lord!

As for me? I look forward with great anticipation to what God has prepared for me in heaven! I long to be there, and yet until His appointed time for me, I will love and serve Him to the best of my ability.

You see, for the believer; there is no fear in death, but only a great anticipation. “For I believe God, that it will be even as it was told me! (Acts 27:25b WEB)

1 Peter 1:3 and 4 (NIV), “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,”

Revelation 21:4 (NIV), “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

You have an appointment which has been established by the Lord of Lords and King of Kings! If you have confessed your sins, repented (turned away) from them, and accepted Christ as your personal Savior, I trust your heart has been encouraged by this post. For when that moment comes, you will immediately be in the presence of the Lord, Who is Love.

If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, the Scripture states that “Today is the day of salvation.” Realize, if you have not made that decision, by default, you have chosen to reject Him, and will spend your eternity forever separated from the One who is Light and Love. Confess your sins, repent, and ask Jesus in.

Then, enter into His presence to live forever with Him and with those believers who have gone before you!

We would love to hear from you!

NIV New International Version

NSFLB New Spirit Filled Life Bible

ESV Eastern Standard Version

NLT New Living Translation

CSB Christian Standard Bible

WEB World English Bible