"Death might be one of the most misunderstood subjects today. To many it is shrouded in mystery and evokes dreaded feelings of fear, uncertainty, and even hopelessness. Others believe that their loved ones are not dead at all, but instead live with them or in another realm! Still, many are confused about the relationship between the body, spirit and soul. But does it really matter what you believe! Yes! Because what you believe about the dead will have a profound impact on what will happen to you during the end-times. There's no room for guessing, so hear is a real eye opener on the subject.

All this is not my words but belongs to the Amazing Facts "Are the dead really dead" study guide.
Let's start of by asking some questions.
How did we get here in the first place?
"And the lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils of the breath of life;and man became a living being." Genesis 2:7
God made us from dust in the beginning.

What happens when someone does?
"Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:7
The body turns to dust again, and the spirit goes back to God, who gave it. The spirit of every person who does,  whether righteous or wicked, returns to God at death.

What is the Spirit that returns to God at death?
"The body without the spirit is dead" James 2:26, "The spirit of God is in my nostrils" Job 27:3, KJV
The spirit that returns to God at death is the breath of life. Nowhere in all of God's book does the spirit have any life, wisdom, or feeling after a person dies. It is "the breath of life" and nothing more.

What is a soul?
"And the lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7, KJV
A soul is a living being. A soul is always a combination of two things:body plus breath. A soul cannot exist unless body and breath are combined. Gods word teaches that we are souls.

Do souls die?
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:20, KJV,  "Every living soul died in the sea." Revelation 16:3, KJV
According to God's word, souls do die! We are souls, and souls die. Man is mortal,(Job 4:17). Only God is immortal, (1st Timothy 6:15,16.) the concept of an undying, immortal soul goes against the Bible, which teaches that souls are subject to death.

Do good people go to heaven when they die?
"All who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth" John 5:28, 29. "David....is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day." "For David did not ascend into the heavens." Acts 2:29, 34.  "If I wait, the grave is mine house." Job 17:13, KJV
No. People do not go to either heaven or hell after death. They go to their graves to await the resurrection day.

How much does one know or comprehend after death?
"For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they will have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also, their love, hatred, and their envy have now perished; never more will they have a share in anything done under the sun."  "There is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grace where you are going." Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10.  "The dead do not praise the lord." Psalm 115, 17.
God says that the dead know absolutely nothing!
They cannot contact the living, nor do they know what the living are doing. They are dead. Their thoughts have perished.

Jesus called the unconscious state of the dead "sleep" in John 11:11-14.  How long will they sleep?
"So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more." Job 14:12.  "The day of the lord will come....in which the heavens will pass away." 2 Peter 3:10.
The dead will sleep until the great day of the lord at the end of the world. In death humans are totally unconscious with no activity or knowledge of any kind.

What happens to the righteous dead at the second coming of Christ?
"And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to every one according to his work." Revelation 22:12.  "For the lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, ...and the dead in Christ will rise...and thus we shall always be with the lord." 1st Thessalonians 4:16,17. "We shall all be changed-In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,....and the dead shall be raised incorruptible....for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must be put on immortality." 1st Corinthians 15:51-53
They will be rewarded. They will be raised, given immortal bodies, and caught up to meet Jesus in the air. There would be no purpose in a resurrection if people were taken to heaven at death.

What was the devils first lie on earth?
"The serpent said to the woman, you will not surely die" Genesis 3:4
You will my die.

Do devils really work miracles?

Yes Indeed! Devils work incredibly convincing miracles. Satan and his angels will appear as angles of light, and even more shocking, as Christ himself. The universal feeling will be that Christ and his angels are leading out in a fantastic world wide revival. It will be so spiritual and so super-natural that only Gods elect will not be deceived. READ YOUR BIBLES KIDS. People who have studied the scriptures earnestly will know that the dead are dead, not alive. Spirits of the dead do not exist. Therefore, Gods people will reject all miracle workers and teachers who claim to have special "light" or work miracles by contacting spirits from the dead. And gods people will reject that the dead are alive, in any form

As for hell, it is not eternal. After the thousand years the righteous spend in heaven, God will bring down his kingdom, and the evil will be resurrected. Satan will gather then gather all them up to try to try and take God's kingdom. But they will fail, and then the fire from heaven will come down, and once it's out, it will have destroyed Satan, his angels, and all the unrighteous. Then God will create a new earth, and sin will no longer be a problem. The idea of an eternal hell completely contradicts God's loving character. And also, it would be hell for God himself, as he loves even the vilest of sinners.
This act will be completely foreign to God's character, the Bible even calling it his "strange act." But it must be done to eliminate sin and to protect those who chose to accept Christ.
Jesus will be devastated when he must destroy the ones he died to save.
Honestly, the saddest part of hell is missing heaven.