What if God made us to live forever in the flesh and we have an inborn expectation not to die?
Have any of you considered this aspect?
Solomon wrote...
"I have seen the occupation that God has given to the sons of mankind in which to be occupied. Everything he has made pretty in its time. Even time indefinite he has put in their heart, that mankind may never find out the work that the [true] God has made from the start to the finish" (Eccl 3:10, 11)
If you check out the Genesis account, you will not see death mentioned except as a punishment for disobedience. To my mind, no disobedience would have meant no death. Was it possible for humans to live forever in their fleshly bodies without dying? The Bible's answer is YES!
There was also a "tree of life" in the Garden of Eden that guaranteed them everlasting life as long as they were obedient to God's commands. There was no restriction on eating of this tree until
after sin had entered the world. Then and only then did God place a prohibition on it. In fact, he went to a lot of trouble to prevent humans from gaining access to it again. (Gen 3:22-24)
God obviously did not want sinful humans living forever.
The 'trees of life' are not mentioned again until Revelation, when all is to be restored back to Edenic conditions on earth.
"And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of its broad way. And on this side of the river and on that side [there were] trees of life producing twelve crops of fruit, yielding their fruits each month. And the leaves of the trees [were] for the curing of the nations" (Rev 22:1, 2)
There never was an afterlife.....this life was meant to be the only life.
When Adam lost the life he had previously enjoyed, God did not tell him about an afterlife of any description. He simply told him that in the day he ate from the forbidden fruit, he would die. He was not told he would go anywhere but back to the dust.
It was the devil who planted the idea that resulted in man thinking that he would live on somehow.
The devil told Eve that she "would positively NOT die".....God told them that they would...so who lied?
When humans die they go to the same place that Adam and his wife went...all living, breathing things go to the same place..."sheol" or "hades". It is the common grave, where there is no conscious existence or activity there. (Eccl 9:5, 6, 10) Even animals die the same death as man does. (Eccl 3:19, 20)
The Bible does not teach that we have some immortal part of us that survives death, rather it teaches that we sleep in death awaiting the call to come back to life in the resurrection.
"Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice  and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment". (John 5:28, 29)
Jesus' friend Lazarus was raised back to life and when Jesus and his apostles were on their way to resurrect him, Jesus said...
...Laz′a·rus our friend has gone to rest, but I am journeying there to awaken him from sleep. Therefore the disciples said to him: Lord, if he has gone to rest, he will get well.  Jesus had spoken, however, about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. At that time, therefore, Jesus said to them outspokenly: Laz′a·rus has died" (John 11:11-14)
When Lazarus' sister, Martha met Jesus, she said,
Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. And yet at present I know that as many things as you ask God for, God will give you. Jesus said to her: Your brother will rise. Martha said to him: I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life" (21-25)
Martha's response was about "the resurrection", not about Lazarus' soul going anywhere else. For if her brother had gone to a better place, then Jesus was certainly doing him no favors by bringing him back to this life, to die from something else again later, was he?
But what of those who are going to heaven with Jesus?
This is a special 'calling' that grants immortal life in heaven to a privileged few who will rule with Jesus in his kingdom. This is the kingdom that Jesus taught us to pray for, when 'God's will can be done on earth as it is in heaven'.
The kingdom will guide redeemed mankind back to their original perfection and to paradise conditions that were lost due to Adam's sin.
They are seen in Rev 21:2-4 when the "New Jerusalem" begins its rule....
"I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."
All fixed! Everything back to the way it should be.
Rebellion quashed, mankind tried and tested, the dead returned to life and a wonderful future awaits them as they serve their God for all eternity in peace and security. "The former things" that cause all the problems, will be gone. (Isa 65:17)
