If A Man Dies, Shall He Live Again?

If a Man Dies, Shall He Live Again?

—Job 14:14

At one point or another everyone has wondered silently what Job asked aloud: “If a man dies, shall he live again?” Is this it? Are we simply here today, gone tomorrow . . . and then nothing else? Zilch? Nada? The end? Or is there life beyond the grave? This is one of the questions whose answer ultimately helps formulate one’s own world view.

God has instilled within the human heart a longing for life beyond this earthly existence. Even paintings found on the cavern walls of ancient cave dwellers have depicted their desire to live again beyond this life. In Egypt, the pharaohs were buried deep within their great pyramids accompanied with weapons, eating utensils, even servants—evidence of their belief that there was life beyond this brief existence. The Native Americans of the Great Plains believed they would live again in the “happy hunting grounds.” Clearly, God has supernaturally implanted within the human spirit a longing for life beyond the grave.

This hope for life beyond the present one has given rise to such beliefs as reincarnation within Eastern Religions. Various nuances of reincarnation are becoming popular in the West as well. It’s an idea that exalts man and his own achievements. The premise is that man is sufficient to achieve his own perfection in and of himself. It may take him a few lifetimes to do so, but he will eventually succeed. Then there is karma. Its popularity is quite simple. If one does well in life, it proves one’s worth. But should calamity come, it can be blamed on a past life. This belief is popular because little personal responsibility is involved. Hoping to live again in another physical life here on earth means living without any real fear of death, much less of judgment or eternal punishment.

Also fueling today’s interest in life after death are accounts of near-death experiences. Every few years another bestselling book releases, describing someone’s “death” and what that person experienced before returning to their body. Volumes like 90 Minutes in Heaven, Embraced by the Light, and Heaven Is for Real have sold millions of copies. Clearly, Job’s question sells today.

“If a man dies, shall he live again?” Job responded with an emphatic “Yes!” in Job 19:25–27. Hear his confident proclamation:

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God,

Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!

These words come from the lips of a man who had just lost his job, his health, his wealth, his friends, and most of his family. Yet his answer to his original question—“If a man dies, will he live again?”—is positive, pointed, and personal.

WILL WE LIVE AGAIN? THE ANSWER IS POSITIVE

Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). Job did not say, “I think . . .” or, “I hope . . .” Nor did he say, “I wish . . .” Job is rock-solid certain; he is absolutely positive that he will live again. There are no “ifs” or “buts” about it.

Is there life after death? God wants us to know with certainty that another life will follow our earthly existence and that it will be more than a million times a million times longer than this one. A thousand years from today we will be alive.

The apostle John put it like this: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). The Bible you often hold in your hands was written to you in order that you would be positive and have certain assurance, not only that there is another life after your time on earth, but that you can spend it with Jesus.

WILL WE LIVE AGAIN? THE ANSWER IS POINTED

Job indicated it was his Redeemer who is alive, and he would see Him after the destruction of his earthly body (Job 19:25, 27). This role of Redeemer is well illustrated in the biblical account of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:1–4). Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, foreshadows our own Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to fulfill the duties of a kinsman-redeemer, one not only had to be a member of the family, but had to be able and willing to pay a price of redemption. This is the essence of Job’s declaration. His Redeemer would buy back his lost heritage. We too lost our heritage . . . back in Eden’s garden. Our Redeemer has bought us back with the price of His own blood.

So Job said, “I have lost everything. So what if death comes? I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will restore me. He lives, and I will live again also.”

In Jerusalem today there is a beautiful garden and in it lies a famous tomb, but there are many famous tombs in the world. I have seen the pyramids of Egypt, famous for the pharaohs who lie inside. The Cave of Machpelah in Hebron is famous for holding the remains of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In London, Westminster Abbey contains the bodies of Browning, Tennyson, Livingston, and other great Englishmen. In Mecca is the tomb of Mohammed, the prophet of Islam. All those tombs are famous for who is inside them. But the Garden Tomb, just outside the city walls of Jerusalem, is famous for whom it doesn’t contain! Job’s answer to life’s question is pointed: “I know that my Redeemer lives!”

WILL WE LIVE AGAIN? THE ANSWER IS PERSONAL

Finally, Job emphasized that it is “my Redeemer” who lives (Job 19:25, emphasis added). Are you able to embrace that little two-letter word my? When Jesus, in His resurrected body, appeared before the disciples in the Upper Room, Thomas was present, and had already earned the nickname that sticks to him like glue—even today: Doubting Thomas. He had not been with his fellow disciples when the risen Lord first appeared, and he expressed his unbelief at such a miracle. But now, in the Lord’s presence, Thomas no longer doubted. He fell before his risen Lord and simply exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Is Jesus that personal, that real, to you? Can you say, “I know that my Redeemer lives”? If so, like Job, you are well on your way to answering the question of life after death.

In the midst of his great difficulties, Job’s source of delight was seeing God in the next life. He knew that “in the end” heaven is a wonderful place. We will never see a hospital: there will be no sickness. We will see no funeral homes: there will be no more death. We will see no more counseling centers: there will be no more depression, heartache, or mental illness. Whatever takes the joy out of life will be gone forever for those who can say, “I know that my Redeemer lives!”

Q & A: “If a man dies, shall he live again?” Yes . . . somewhere! And those who have placed their hope in Christ, their Redeemer, will live with Him in heaven forever. For the believer, death is not about leaving home. It’s about going home!