Hope and Prophecy

Do the Dead Know What Is Happening?

Scripture indicates that the dead do not have conscious knowledge of earthly events. Ecclesiastes explicitly says the dead “know not any thing,” while Psalm 146 says their thoughts perish.

Published 2026-09-13 · Updated 2026-09-27

Written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team. Read our editorial policy.

0 views
State of the Dead

Biblical explanation

is unusually direct: “The dead know not any thing.” The passage continues by saying that their love, hatred, and envy have ended and that they no longer participate in the affairs taking place “under the sun.” This does not mean God has forgotten the dead. God remembers every person and will resurrect them. Jesus demonstrated this when He called Lazarus from the grave. Lazarus did not return from a conscious heavenly existence with a message about what he had seen. Jesus simply called him out of death (). If the dead were consciously observing earthly life, passages warning against communication with the dead would be difficult to understand. explicitly prohibits attempts to consult the dead or communicate with supposed spirits. The biblical emphasis is instead that God alone holds the future resurrection.

In brief

is unusually direct: “The dead know not any thing.

Bible references

Go deeper into this topic What Really Happens After Death? Start the study

Editorial note

This answer is written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team, and is presented with supporting references so you can examine each passage in context. If you notice an error or unclear statement, please suggest a correction.