Death and the afterlife are subjects surrounded by widespread confusion, yet the Bible provides clear and consistent teaching on what happens when we die. The Bible compares death to sleep more than 50 times, but this comparison is metaphorical, as Jesus confirmed when He plainly told His disciples that Lazarus was dead, not merely sleeping. Two main views exist regarding soul sleep. The milder form holds that a person continues to exist in dreamless unconsciousness, while the stronger form, consistent with Scripture, teaches that at death we cease to exist entirely. Our bodies return to the elements of the earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust, with existence only restored through a future resurrection. Several key biblical points support this understanding. First, mankind was formed from dust, and like animals, humans are nephesh, living creatures. At death, the dust returns to the earth and the spirit returns to God. Second, unlike animals, God personally breathed His spirit into man, giving humanity unique understanding and comprehension. Third, mankind is a living soul, not a possessor of an immortal soul. The doctrine of an immortal soul originated with Satan's first lie to Eve. God alone has immortality, according to I Timothy 6. Fourth, sin results in eternal death, which is permanent and complete destruction, the ultimate separation from God. Fifth, rewards are not given at death but at the return of Jesus Christ, when the dead in Christ rise first and are given immortality. Sixth, following the 1,000-year reign of Christ, billions who never had opportunity to know God will be resurrected to physical life and given the chance to repent and enter God's family. Finally, those who ultimately refuse God will be completely destroyed in the Lake of Fire, leaving not even a memory behind. As Daniel 12 beautifully summarizes, many who sleep in the dust shall awake, some to everlasting life, and those who turn many to righteousness shall shine like stars forever.