Rand's death will be faked or somehow temporary, so anything could happen after his "resurrection". Rand could "die" in ToM, but I think that's more likely to be in A Memory of Light.
The prophecies do seem to indicate that he'll die before the Last Battle is won, and then be resurrected to finish the job.
They do? Granted its been years since I've given the whole series a full read through, but I must have missed this.
Probably because it's buried under some red herrings, like the idea that he will die at Shayol Ghul, which is inspired by the 'blood on the rocks' prophecies. However, there's nothing that actually says he will die there.
Nicola has a Foretelling - 'The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives. The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants. The future teeters on the edge of a blade.'
Most people assume that the 'great battle' is the Last Battle, and that there was a temporary truce with the Seanchan, and now that the Last Battle's done, they've gone back to fighting each other. But that interpretation overlooks a few important questions:
1. Why is the land still 'divided by the Return'? The temporary truce idea seems weak to me, partly because it seems like the only logical option to Rand (which is often a good clue that RJ was planning something completely different). This wording makes it seem like events are simply progressing as they have been...and we know that the two must be 'as one' in order for Rand to have a fighting chance at Tarmon Gai'don. If the truce was so fickle as that, then I don't think the words 'as one' ever truly applied.
2. Why does the future teeter on the edge of a blade, if the Last Battle's done? The Seanchan are just another enemy, when all is said and done. But if the Last Battle is not yet won, then the future truly does teeter on the edge of a blade.
3. Why are Rand and his harem central to the Foretelling, if the Last Battle is done? So far as we know, Rand's responsibilities end when the Dark One is defeated, and if it's just about bringing him back to life so that he can live happily ever after...why is it so dire?
This Foretelling is also backed up by a dream that was shared by two Wise Ones: 'Melaine and Bair dreamed of you on a boat...with three women whose faces they could not see, and a scale tilting first one way then the other.'
Again, why is that scale tilting? Why is this particular scene so important, if the Last Battle is done?
I see no choice but to assume that the 'great battle' refers to something else. The Battle of Caemlyn is likely, as it's the ultimate battle of Arthurian legend, and a likely place for Rand to die. Things definitely seem to be converging on Caemlyn, and of course the Black Tower is right outside the city. I think it's likely to be the final battle between the Seanchan and Randland forces, which would mean that Tuon would probably attack the Black Tower and the city at the same time. Rand dies, and the battle is a stalemate (something like Rand vs. Seanchan in Altara), and while Rand is dead, Mat and Tuon work out the details of the two becoming one. I suspect the marriage consummation symbolism will be at least somewhat tied into it.
Aside from the prophecies, I get the feeling that one of the questions RJ wanted to explore with this series was, 'What would happen if the Chosen One died before saving the world?' Of course, it will be alright in the end, but it makes for good drama.