\u201cSigns before death\u201d is a popular topic around which much fear and imagination have accumulated.<\/b> Here you will hear that \u201cthe clock fell,\u201d \u201cthe mirror broke,\u201d \u201ca bird flew into the house,\u201d or \u201cthe candle went out.\u201d Most such signs are a Slavic pre-Christian heritage, unrelated to the Bible. But there are also real physiological changes that happen to a person before death \u2014 it is useful to know them so as not to be afraid and to know how to be present. Here we discuss both real signs and the biblical perspective on death, and whether it is worth \u201cbelieving in signs.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat the Bible says about \u201csigns of death\u201d<\/h2>\n
Plainly and honestly: the Bible does not give a list of \u201csigns\u201d that warn of someone\u2019s death. Most of what people call \u201csigns\u201d is superstition, not biblical teaching<\/b>. The Bible directly warns against divination and attempts to predict the future through signs in nature:<\/p>\n \u201cFor these nations, which you will dispossess, listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.\u201d Deut. 18:14<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cThe clock stopped\u201d = a bad sign \u2014 this is not a biblical statement. It is folk \u201cknowledge\u201d that the Bible does not confirm. If you suddenly noticed that something is not right with your loved one \u2014 these are not \u201csigns,\u201d this is God-given attentiveness in a concerned child<\/b>, who is worried. This is normal and human.<\/p>\n If a person is seriously ill or elderly, changes really do occur in the body. It is useful to know them so you can be present at the right moment. These are not \u201csigns,\u201d but medical facts:<\/p>\n These are normal processes. Knowing this, the family does not panic but is able to be present consciously: hold a hand, speak softly, read the Bible, pray.<\/p>\n Hearing is the last sense to shut down. Even if the person no longer responds, they often still hear. What is worth saying:<\/p>\n The Bible honestly acknowledges that death is frightening. It is not minimized by the word \u201ctransition.\u201d It is an enemy<\/b>:<\/p>\n \u201cThe last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.\u201d 1 Cor 15:26<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n But the Bible also says that Jesus defeated this enemy<\/b>. Through His death and resurrection, death lost its final power:<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory! O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?\u201d 1 Cor 15:54\u201355<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n For the person who has believed in Christ, death is not the final station<\/b>. It is sleep until the moment of resurrection at the Second Coming (1 Thess 4:13\u201317). This is not \u201ccomforting words\u201d\u2014it is a fact that changes the whole attitude toward the end.<\/p>\n It seems harmless\u2014\u201cdon\u2019t sit in seat 13\u201d or \u201cdon\u2019t whistle in the house.\u201d But living regularly \u201cunder omens\u201d means:<\/p>\n The best \u201cprotection\u201d from such anxiety is not a new omen, but a reminder to yourself: my life and death are in God's hands<\/b>. Not in clocks, mirrors, or birds.<\/p>\nReal physiological signs that death is near<\/h2>\n
1\u20132 weeks before death<\/h3>\n
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1\u20133 days before<\/h3>\n
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In the final hours<\/h3>\n
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What to say to a dying person<\/h2>\n
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What NOT to do<\/h2>\n
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Why we are afraid of death<\/h2>\n
Why superstitious \u201comens\u201d are dangerous<\/h2>\n
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