“The Dead Know Nothing Whatsoever”

In recent weeks, a discussion has once again broken out on the forum*  about “the state of the dead.” In particular, the traditionally familiar texts that are repeatedly cited to defend the idea that the dead are not dead (= incapable of anything) have been under discussion. The arguments used can broadly be classified as follows:

1. Figurative language is interpreted literally
Examples: the account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16); the souls under the altar (Revelation 6); the poetic description in Isaiah 14;

2. Conclusions that are not necessary
Examples: in Luke 23:43, “today” is read as belonging to the second clause rather than the first; the evangel that was brought to the dead (1 Peter 4:6) is read as: brought while they were already dead;

3. The account of a séance
A major role is assigned to the appearance in the spiritistic setting at Endor (1 Samuel 28);

4. Texts referring to resurrection life are applied to “the intermediate state”
Examples: Philippians 1:23 (“having a yearning for the solution and to be together with Christ”); “to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5);

5. Sloppy reasoning
Example: from the Dutch word dodenrijk (“realm of the dead”), one concludes that it refers to a realm populated by the dead, whereas the underlying biblical terms (sheol and hades) absolutely do not carry that meaning; the dead await a new body at the resurrection, yet in the meantime they supposedly already have a mouth, fingers, feelings, eyes, etc.

Against ten, at most fifteen, texts (or passages) of this caliber stand numerous passages of Scripture teaching that the dead truly are dead. The following points are decisive:

1. The Bible confirms the primary meaning of “dead”: incapable of any activity. The Bible does not regard death as another form of life but as the opposite of life;

2. The lie of the serpent consisted of a denial of death (“your eyes will be unclosed”), and this lie is characteristic of every religion (immortal soul or reincarnation);

3. The book of Ecclesiastes explicitly declares that “the dead know nothing whatsoever” and that in the unseen there is no doing, devising, knowledge, or wisdom (Ecclesiastes 9);

4. Dozens of times the Bible compares death with unconscious sleep;

5. A handful of times we read in the Psalms and Isaiah that the dead do not praise God, do not look forward to His faithfulness, and cannot remember God;

6. Never do we read in the Bible about the experiences of people who were raised from the dead;

7. The Bible repeatedly teaches that death is a return. Just as a person does not “exist” before birth, so a person no longer “exists” after death;

8. All hope in the Bible is centered on resurrection; apart from that, the believers who have fallen asleep would be hopelessly lost. They are therefore not “rejoicing before God’s throne” or anything of the sort.

When we consider the total testimony of Scripture concerning death, it is easy to establish that the Bible truly describes death as death. This is clear from the QUANTITY of the (dozens of) statements that testify to this. But above all, it is the QUALITY of the argumentation that is decisive. Many explicit statements; logical consistency; and the ability to elegantly explain a few texts that appear to suggest otherwise make the “the dead know nothing whatsoever” view a SOLID BIBLICAL TEACHING.

*(forum is offline, 2026)

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