Bible Verses About Life After Death

What does the Bible say about life after death? Read the best Bible verses on life after death that have been researched and retrieved from more than twenty popular translations of God's word! These specially selected quotes will broaden and deepen your understanding of the meaning of this important Biblical subject.

Eternal Life for Righteous Dead
(First Resurrection)

Job 14:14, HBFV

If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time in the grave I will wait, until my change comes.

Daniel 12:2 - 3, HBFV

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life . . . And they who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever.

1Corinthians 15:20 - 23, 50 - 54, NASB

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming . . .

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory."

John 5:24, ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my [Jesus'] word and believes him who sent me [God the Father] has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 8:51, NIV

I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death [the second death].

Romans 6:5, NKJV

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Hebrews 9:15, HBFV

And for this reason He [Jesus] is the Mediator of the New Covenant: in order that through His death, which took place for the release of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

2Corinthians 5:1 - 2, 4, HCSB

For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed [our physical bodies], we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. Indeed, we groan in this body, desiring to put on our dwelling from heaven . . .

Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

Revelation 20:4, WEB

I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The Dead Offered Eternal Life
(Second Resurrection)

John 3:16, NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish [experience the second death] but have eternal life.

1Timothy 2:3 - 4, MKJV

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

John 11:25 - 26, 2Peter 3:9, GNB

Jesus said to her [Martha, the sister of Lazarus], "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die [the second death] . . ."

The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants ALL to turn away from their sins.

Ezekiel 37:1, 3, 5 - 6, 12 - 14, HBFV

The hand of the Lord was on me [Ezekiel], and brought me by the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of a valley, and it was full of bones . . .

And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, You know." . . .

Thus says the Lord God to these bones, "Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the Lord." . . .

Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel.

' "And you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, O My people, and have brought you up out of your graves. And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live' " . . .

Revelation 20:5, HBFV

(But the rest of the dead [those not in the first resurrection] did not live again until the thousand years were completed.) . . .

Revelation 20:11 - 13, HCSB

Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.

Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works.

Destruction of the Unrepentant

Daniel 12:2, HBFV

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Matthew 12:31 - 32, NASB

Therefore I [Jesus] say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Hebrews 6:4 - 6, NLT

For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened - those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come - and who then turn away from God.

It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance . . .

Revelation 20:10, 14 - 15, HCSB

The Devil who deceived them [those who waged earth's last war] was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever . . .

Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8, TEV

But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic, those who worship idols, and all liars - the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

An Eternal Life After Death

Revelation 21:4, 22:14, HBFV

And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall not be any more death, or sorrow, or crying; neither shall there be any more pain, because the former things have passed away . . .

Blessed are those who keep His commandments, that they may have the right to eat of the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

Recommended Articles
What Is the First Resurrection?
What Can We Learn from Death?
How Do Jews Get to Heaven?
What Exactly Is the Second Death?
Does the Tree of Life Exist Today?
What Is the Unpardonable Sin?
Does Scripture Teach Reincarnation?
Who Was Resurrected with Jesus?

Bible Verses About / For . . .
Anxiety   -   Children   -   Death
Encouragement   -   Faith   -   Family   -   Fear
Forgiveness   -   Friendship   -   Funerals
Healing   -   Hope   -   Joy
Life After Death   -   Love   -   Marriage
Music   -   Peace   -   Perseverance
Prayer   -   Weddings


Abbreviations
ESV - English Standard Version
GNB - Good News Bible
HBFV - Holy Bible Faithful Version
HCSB - Holman Christian Standard
MKJV - Modern King James
NASB - New American Standard Bible
NIV - New International Version
NKJV - New King James Version
NLT - New Living Translation, 2nd Ed.
TEV - Today's English Version
WEB - World English Bible