life after death
What does the Bible say about life after death? These are the passages readers found most helpful — tap any citation to read it in context.
12 passages · most helpful first
25Jesus said to her: “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, even though he has died, he shall live.
24Amen, amen, I say to you, that whoever hears my word, and believes in him who sent me, has eternal life, and he does not go into judgment, but instead he crosses from death into life.
16For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life.
43And Jesus said to him, “Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in Paradise.”
1“Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe in me also. 2In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, I would have told you. For I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will return again, and then I will take you to myself, so that where I am, you also may be. 4And you know where I am going. And you know the way.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
23For the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
28And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But instead fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.
13And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him. 15For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up first. 17Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always. 18Therefore, console one another with these words.
27And in the same manner as it has been appointed for men to die one time, and after this, to be judged,
20But our way of life is in heaven. And from heaven, too, we await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform the body of our lowliness, according to the form of the body of his glory, by means of that power by which he is even able to subject all things to himself.
22Therefore, you also, indeed, have sorrow now. But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice. And no one will take away your joy from you.
51Behold, I tell you a mystery. Certainly, we shall all rise again, but we shall not all be transformed: 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise up, incorruptible. And we shall be transformed. 53Thus, it is necessary for this corruptibility to be clothed with incorruptibility, and for this mortality to be clothed with immortality. 54And when this mortality has been clothed with immortality, then the word that was written shall occur: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.