DAY 158
CHALLENGE
“Perhaps it doesn’t disprove consciousness after death, but Scripture does not provide a basis for believing it, either.”
DEFENSE
There are Bible verses that demonstrate consciousness after death.
The prophet Samuel is conscious when summoned by the witch of Endor (1 Sam. 28; note the text does not challenge the idea that it is Samuel who is summoned). This is an exceptional incident since a medium is involved (Deut. 18:11–12), but it indicates the possibility of and belief in consciousness after death.
1 Peter 3:19–20 refers to Christ preaching, after death, to spirits who disobeyed in the time of Noah. They were conscious, though some have questioned whether they are human or angelic spirits.
In the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah are shown interacting with Jesus (Matt. 17:1–9). However, Elijah never died (2 Kings 2:1–12), and although Moses did die (Deut. 34:5), Jude refers to an angelic dispute over his body (Jude 9). According to early Christian writings, this was a reference to an event in The Assumption of Moses, whose end- ing is now lost. Because of ambiguity about what happened to Moses after death (was he assumed? raised from the dead?) and because of the exceptional nature of the Transfiguration, this text is of limited value.
In the account of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19–31), Je- sus describes Lazarus, the rich man, and Abraham as conscious in the intermediate state (i.e., between death and resurrection). It has been objected that this is a parable. However, Jesus’ parables are informed by real things (kings, fathers, sons, banquets, vineyards, and so on). If this is a parable, it suggests conscious individuals in the afterlife are also real.
More definitely, Paul expects to be conscious in the intermediate state when he says he “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8; cf. Phil. 1:21–24).
The clearest passages indicating consciousness in the intermediate state are in Revelation, where the souls of the martyred are depicted praying and worshipping God (Rev. 6:9–11, 7:13–15). These are deci- sive since they are not exceptional and refer to the souls of many un- named Christians continuing to be conscious.