Topical Bible: Natural Death: Lot of All

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Topical Encyclopedia

Natural death, as understood within the biblical context, refers to the inevitable end of physical life that all humans face as a consequence of the Fall. This concept is deeply rooted in the narrative of Scripture, beginning with the account of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis. The Bible presents natural death as a universal reality, a part of the human condition that underscores the transient nature of earthly life.

The Origin of Death

The origin of natural death is traced back to the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2:17, God commands Adam, "but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die." This death was not immediate physical death but introduced mortality into the human experience. Romans 5:12 explains, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned."

The Universality of Death

Scripture consistently affirms the universality of natural death. Ecclesiastes 3:2 states, "a time to be born and a time to die," highlighting the inevitability of death as part of the divine order. Hebrews 9:27 further emphasizes, "Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment." This appointment with death is a shared human experience, transcending cultural, social, and economic boundaries.

Death as a Consequence of Sin

The Bible portrays natural death as a direct consequence of sin. Romans 6:23 declares, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse contrasts the temporal nature of physical death with the eternal life offered through faith in Jesus Christ. The presence of death serves as a reminder of humanity's fallen state and the need for redemption.

The Hope Beyond Death

While natural death is the lot of all, the Bible offers hope beyond the grave through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In John 11:25-26 , Jesus proclaims, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die." This promise of eternal life provides comfort and assurance to believers, affirming that physical death is not the end but a transition to eternal communion with God.

The Attitude Toward Death

Believers are encouraged to view natural death with a perspective of faith and hope. Philippians 1:21 expresses the apostle Paul's attitude: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." This reflects a confidence in the eternal reward that awaits those who trust in Christ. The Bible encourages Christians to live with an eternal perspective, understanding that while death is a reality, it is not to be feared for those who are in Christ.

Conclusion

Natural death, as depicted in the Bible, is an integral part of the human experience, serving as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the hope of redemption through Jesus Christ. The Scriptures provide a framework for understanding death, offering both a sobering acknowledgment of its reality and a hopeful anticipation of eternal life.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ecclesiastes 8:8
There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither has he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Death in the Desert
... body and spirit is simply the result of natural law ... in the desert proclaims 'the
wages of sin'; that death outside the ... It is the lot of all epoch-making men, of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a death in the desert.htm

Yea, Though I Walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Will ...
... a battlefield and life a warfare, even from a natural point of ... us, even in the darkness
of the shadow of death. ... sorrows of life, which belong to the lot of all ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/callan/the shepherd of my soul/vii yea though i walk.htm

No Alterations of Christ's Plan.
... But all these can have no place in the perfect kingdom ... be uttered in view of the
common lot of mortals. ... believe that he would be torn by natural death from the ...
/.../section 51 no alterations of.htm

The Last Days of Zinzendorf, 1755-1760.
... settlers at Herrnhut came from Moravia, it is natural to regard ... is still the custom
to announce the death of any ... They consulted the Lot: the Lot said "No"; and ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter xv the last days.htm

Death by Adam, Life by Christ
... The sentence includes all the natural evils, all the variety of ... There is the second
death, the final and eternal misery ... This we know is the dreadful lot of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xli death by adam.htm

Triumph Over Death and the Grave
... with infidelity, many people, notwithstanding the natural love of ... would otherwise,
through fear of death, have been ... Lot was undoubtedly thankful, when he was ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xliv triumph over death.htm

Persecution Every Christian's Lot
... to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce ... that persecution
is the common lot of every ... their firebrands, arrows and death, saying, "Are we ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/persecution every christians lot.htm

"For if Ye Live after the Flesh, Ye Shall Die, but if Ye through ...
... which, if any thing be able to prevail, this must do, seeing it is seconded with
some natural inclination in ... Death, you think that is a common lot, and you ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxxiv for if ye.htm

How the People that were in the Fortress were Prevailed on by the ...
... every one of them still retained the natural passion of ... lots for themselves, that
he whose lot it was ... resolution, and the immovable contempt of death which so ...
/.../chapter 9 how the people.htm

The Edict of Banishment, 1729-1736.
... of Church policy was submitted to the Lot.86 The ... Herrnhut Lutherans; and the Moravians
could all sail away ... that the Herrnhut heresy would die a natural death. ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter v the edict of.htm