What most people do is look to the Old Testament Scriptures to validate this teaching such as Eccl. 9:5-6, "For the living know they shall die: but the dead know not any thing," or Psalm 146:4, "His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish". Or Psalm 115:17, "The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence" or Psalm 6:5 "For in death there is no remembrance of Thee; in the grave who shall give Thee thanks? And of course, there is Ezek. 18:4, "the soul that sinneth, it shall die. "From these Scriptures and many others, the Seventh Day Adventists and other groups make their air-tight case that death is a peaceful sleep for the soul. Well, actually, it's not so air-tight, it's more like Swiss cheese. This means that it is spiritual death, a separation not a non existence. Otherwise they would cease to exist as soon as they sin.
There are many scripture that say the soul is dead even when someone is alive, he is dead even when alive.
There is poetry in the Psalms, for instance Psalm 22:26: "The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord that seek him;
your heart shall live forever." Now, logically, I don't think anyone takes this Scripture in its solid, literal sense or would believe that someone's physical heart is going to live forever while our body and our soul die. Our heart is not going to be outside our body living forever.
The word heart obviously means something other than how we interpret it today. the intent of this word means something other than the physical organ. Proverbs 23:7 tells us as a man thinks in his heart, so is he, or Matt.13:5, lest they should understand with their heart. Obviously there's an intent of this Scripture that means not just the physical organ.
Actually the word heart represents the inward man, his soul, his spirit, and is usually interchangeable throughout the Scriptures. Just as soul can be substituted for one's life, their heart, mind and body, so can the word heart. They are interchangeable throughout the Scriptures.
The main argument for those who promote soul-sleep are these: the word sleeping is for those who die, that it is unconsciousness (1 Thess.4:13-14, 1 Cor. 15:20,51).
So, let's look at the word sleep, because that's what's crucial here. What does sleep mean? The Bible uses this term when speaking of death in that the physical body, a dead body, looks very similar in this state. It's always referring to the physical body, not the soul. It is the appearance of the body that is sleeping, no one is able to see the spirit . It is also a term used
exclusively for believers.
The term sleeping, in reference to death, is
not used for unbelievers. I find that to be crucial in understanding what the Bible is trying to portray to us when it says that the dead in Christ are sleeping.
Believers and unbelievers do not experience the same afterlife.
Why would God allow a believers spirit to go to the same place as a non believer ? He didn’t do this before the resurrection of Christ (Lk. 16 they were separated after death). Now we are told paradise is in heaven and we are to be with the Lord. so it is illogical, not to mention unbiblical to think that we are to all sleep in the grave until a resurrection- what sleeps is the body, what stays alive is mans spirit which was created in God’s likeness and contains the qualities that God gave man to be similar to himself.
Sleeping in the New Testament is used for one who is in Christ, it is God' s viewpoint of a temporary suspension of physical activity, yet, there is a continuation of the mind and the soul, the personality.The Spirit is just as alive outside the body as it is inside the body.
Dan 12:2
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.
The word for sleep here is not the same as one sleeping in everyday use.
yashen ( from 3462; sleepy: KJV-- asleep, (one out of) sleep slept.
In Jer 31:26
After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me. Also in Dn.2:1shenah corresponding to 8142:
One is hard pressed to make a case for souls sleep even from the old Testament, certainly it cannot be done from the New testament that reveals much more on mans state after he dies.
Does the believer wake up in the resurrection? Is he put back in an immortal physical body? Yes, he is, yet, we never see an example of a spirit resurrected because it does not die like the body. The term resurrection only applies to the body.
The Bible is very clear that the spirit can live outside the body. Angels can and do function outside a body and yet, they can also function within a body. We see they can possess people and actually there can be more than one spirit or fallen angels inside a body. Although this alone does not make a strong case for a continuation of an afterlife, it does show that a spirit can operate and function outside the body.
2 Peter 1:13, Peter talks about putting off his tabernacle, or tent, calling it a temporary dwelling place. James 2:26 tells us the body without the spirit is dead. He doesn't say the spirit also dies, he says the body without the spirit dies. In Gen. 35:18, speaking of Rachel, it tells us, her soul was departing and she died. The spirit exists afterwards and gives us life, when he leaves the body it dies. The body dies and goes back into the ground, yet the spirit continues on with a life of its own.
Eccl. 12: 6-7 describes in poetry the shattering of life, that the dust returns to earth, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Yet, earlier, in verse 5, he writes a
man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. So Solomon is speaking about those who turn to God as he started off this chapter, stating remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before difficult days come. And then he speaks about our eternal home. If it
is sleep in the grave, as people are claiming, then that means we are going to stay in the grave, the ground, forever, if our soul actually sleeps. They are using this scripture in a way that it's an eternal home in the ground and we are never to be raised up. Of course, that is not what it means.
One of the scriptures they use is Eccl. 9:5, the dead know nothing. Now this is true, since it is the body that dies, that part of the man which dies and goes into the ground, knows nothing. But there is a part of man that flies away at death and returns to God who gave it, Psalm 90. So, Those who believe, go to rest in Christ. It couldn't mean only our breath since that would not go to God but to the atmosphere.
1 Thess. 4:13-17, we are told that
God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. Then he states, those who are alive will not precede those who have fallen asleep. The Lord from heaven will come down with a trumpet call and the dead in Christ will rise first. And then those who are alive will be caught up together with them in the air with the Lord forever.
Since the resurrection did not occur before this event, who is Jesus bringing w
ith him from heaven? They don't have bodies, the resurrection hasn't occurred, so they are immaterial souls that will be united with their bodies at this resurrection event. They existed fellowshipping with the Lord in heaven. Jude says the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints. Paul describes this event in 1 Cor. 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed. When? At the last trump. The dead are raised incorruptible, and then he goes on to describe that mortal will put on immortality. So he's talking about our bodies. Then death, he states, is swallowed up in victory; our souls are not dead because we were made alive in Christ.
What of Jesus, did he use this definition? Matt. 12:43 "When an unclean
Breath, (spirit) "goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none." Certainly he did not mean bad breath. Just as man can have the Holy Spirit live within him alongside his human Spirit so he can have a unclean spirit live in him.
Luke 4:36: "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean
Breaths, (spirit) and they come out."
Acts 5:16: "Bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean
Breath," (spirit), and they were all healed." I guess some peoples souls need breath freshener! Jesus cast out spirit entities not peoples breath, and if he did they would certainly die on the spot.
Luke 12:19: "And I will say to my
Breath, "
Breath,"(spirit), you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." Can ones breath eat and drink.
James 5:20 " let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a
Breath, (soul) from death and cover a multitude of sins." Can breath be saved or a person.
2 Pet. 2:8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous
Breath, (spirit) from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--
Ezek. 18:4: "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Can breathe die? Obviously this means something than just air in the lungs.
1 Sam 30:6 " because
the soul of all the people was grieved."
Num. 21:4 " and
the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way."
Prov. 21:10 "T
he soul of the wicked desires evil" Can breath do any of these things, or does it communicate emotion, intelligence and personality?
Gen. 34:8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife." Is Shechem's breath desiring a wife?
Pnuema means wind in Greek it also means breath and spirit. Ruach in Hebrew means wind, it too also can mean breath and spirit. Since Hebrew and Greek have only one word for wind breath and spirit one needs to discern what is meant by certain passages, the context defines the meaning.
Jesus breathed on his disciples in John 20 saying receive the Spirit, the rushing wind in Acts is certainly to be interpreted as the Spirit. When Jesus breathed on the apostles the Holy Spirit in Jn.20:22 he wasn't giving them
Breath for life but the Holy Spirit in some capacity.
If Spirit is breath and God is Spirit is He breath to? We can see how ludicrous this position of interpretation is. Certainly when Jesus spoke to the Father into your hands I commend my Spirit he was not speaking of his breath.
I think the point is clear, Spirit does not mean breath although at times it is used metaphorically.
The term
"death" which is "
thanatas" in Greek, does not mean to be non-existence or unconscious, it rather means to be separated. Some examples:
Colossians 2:13: "And when you
were dead (separated form God--NOT "unconscious") in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh..."
Ephesians 2:1: "And he made you alive, who
were dead in trespasses and sins." this is addressing the spiritual state of someone who was in sin and then made alive spiritually in Christ. (also Revelation 3:1)The unregenerate are dead but they are not unconscious or non existent.
The prodigal son in Lk.15:24 is said by the Father "This my son was dead and is alive again." Jesus was not talking about a bodily or soul resurrection but of one who left fellowship with the father.
Jesus in Matt. 26:38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. He was not saying his soul was going to die and go to sleep.
What of Jesus in Lk.23:46 said to the Father into your hands "I commit my spirit," isn’t this clear he is having his spirit received into the Fathers hands while his body is to be laid in the tomb. This is the very same thing Stephen states in Acts 7:59 Stephen cried unto the Lord saying "receive my spirit."
Ps.6:5: "In death there is no remembrance
of you." Ps.146 :4: "the thoughts perish at death, the preceding words put this in context. "His spirit departs he returns to earth in that day his thoughts (plans) perish at death." Eccl.8:8 "there is no man that has power over the Spirit to retain the spirit; in the day of death." This describes the spirit departing from the body, that no one can hold it back not man nor the ground.
Ps.115:17: "The dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence." But it then says "But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and FOR EVERMORE." Wouldn't this by necessity mean to be alive and conscious.
Eccl.3:19: "For what happens to the sons of men also happen to the animals, one thing befalls them, as one dies so dies the other, surely they all have one breath, man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity." Solomon is not describing the afterlife but that we all die, man is not eternal in the body. When we stop breathing we die like any other creature.
Eccl.9:5,10: "in Sheol there is no work or device or wisdom." These passages that seem to imply a dead soul are really describing the normal functions of the body while one lived on earth are not the same afterwards. When one dies these are no longer possible, it ceases. Memory of them is forgotten" is not referring to those who die but those still living will no longer think of them. Ecclesiastes should be kept in its context. Solomon was engulfed in human philosophy and he was backslidden, although there are times rays of truth break through. It was written from a human perspective and the theme of the book is said over and over when a person dies he has no more portion
under the sun as in vs. 10 of Eccl.9 (used 29 times).
This is an idiom of
in this world, where ones functions on earth are no longer possible. These were put in the Bible for an example of how far one can go away from the truth they once knew so well. Just as Satan's lie was recorded to Eve in saying "you will not surely die" so are the words of Solomon in his backslidden state that are not a revelation concerning truth.
Gen.3:19 gives us the report of mans design. "Dust thou art and unto the dust shalt thou return." It was mans physical nature that was made from the dust not his spiritual nature. God breathed into man the spirit, the spirit was not taken from the ground. It came from God.
Likewise Solomon writes a similar narration. Eccl.12: 6-7 describes in poetry the shattering of life, that the dust returns to earth, and
the spirit returns to God who gave it. Yet, earlier, in verse 5, he writes a
man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. So Solomon is speaking about those who turn to God as he started off this chapter, stating remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before difficult days come. And then he speaks about our eternal home. If it
is sleep in the grave, as people are claiming, then that means we are going to stay in the grave, the ground, forever, if our soul actually sleeps.
One will never read of a soul being resurrected from a physical death. Rather, bodies are resurrected from physical death (Matthew 27:52).Why? Because a soul does not literally die.
Many of these are languages of appearances related to the body only. (usually from mans view point. Showing the inability to function as we once did with the body.
Soul-sleep' which pertains to the deceased, is defined as silence, inactivity and an entire unconsciousness. That once death occurs it affects the spirit of man just as it does the body. This would mean the spirit is only alive when it has a body. We know this is not true and is contrary to the Bible.
In Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus he was was not giving disinformation or representing them falsely. The rich man was very much aware of his misfortune as he suffered in Hades he had his thoughts (that temporary abode of the departed spirits of the wicked). While Lazarus enjoyed the blessedness of Paradise (Luke 16:19-31) It is obvious that the rich man is conscious, as Lazarus is conscious, and Abraham is conscious, though they are all dead. All the stories Jesus told always illustrated truth not something false. These two have recently died and one has been long dead. Indeed, their physical bodies are asleep but not their souls. Obviously, the Hadean realm, where all departed spirits remain until the final judgment, is experienced by those dwelling there. (Now excluding Abraham's bosom: Paradise).
In Jn.11:11-14 Jesus says of Lazarus that he sleeps referring to his body. Jesus then says "I will wake him out of his sleep." He then raised his body from the dead.
In Mt.27:52 the Scripture tells us that at the time of of the resurrection "many bodies of the saints which
slept arose." The specific mention of bodies makes the meaning clear of what actually slept. It was not the saints themselves that slept but their bodies.
The term "sleep" when it is used of death is in reference to the body. Whenever the Bible speaks of death in the sense of sleep it is always used of the physical body and not the soul, because the appearance of a
sleeping body and a dead body look very much the same. The term "sleep" is never applied to the soul or the spirit , but only the body.
The soul and the spirit continue to exist after death. whenever the Bible uses the term "sleep" in reference to death of the body. It is never used of the unbelievers in the New Testament. It is a term used only of believers which shows God's viewpoint of the death of a believer. From God's perspective the death of a believer is a temporary suspension of physical activity. For example, in physical sleep there is a temporary suspension of physical activity until one wakes up, but there is no suspension of the activity of the mind, the soul or spirit, and the sub-consciousness keeps operating (as in Lk.16:19-36 death is not a cessation of existence for either the rich man or Lazarus.)
So how can a spirit be able to do the same things he does in the body? Angels (both good and bad) are spirits and they certainly can see, hear, speak. The Bible does not give us much information about man after he dies. What we do know is that communication even among those in heaven requires much like we have here on earth, so any argument refusing this capability is going against what Christ said as a reality.
Mt. 10:28: "And do not fear those who kill the body but
cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Also Lk.12:4-5) After he has killed the body but not the soul? How is this possible if they are the same? If the soul and the body refer to the same thing then wouldn’t the soul die when the body does? God distinguishes the dual natures in man. Man's body is clearly not the same as his soul.
Jesus himself taught in Mt. 10:28 there is a difference between the body of man and his soul by using the word both. When a person dies physically his soul lives. Jesus is distinguishing the material and non material and says although the body can be killed the soul cannot. "But are NOT ABLE to kill the soul." Neither is the soul the body or the body the soul, they are different components of the same person. So if the body is killed the soul is not dead, it continues in its life. So then what does he mean by "fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body."
The Greek word here is
Apollumi it does not mean to bring to utter destruction or ceasing to exist. This same Greek word is used of those living in Mt.10:6 (lost), Mt.15:24 the lost); Lk.19:10 (that which is lost). So this means to be in a lost condition, in context those in Hell that are in a eternally lost state, separated from God for all eternity. This also refutes any teaching of annihilationism, that we don’t exist after we die. Jesus says we do.
If we read such passages as the Ezek. 18:4: "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die (which is to sleep according to those who hold to the soul sleep doctrine). This means that it is spiritual death a separation- not non existence, otherwise they would cease to exist as soon as they sin.
There are many scriptures that say the soul is dead even when someone is alive." Rom. 8:10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." Are we really dragging a dead body around? Can we actually believe that if someone sinned their soul went to sleep or out of existence when they were alive? Were they walking around with a dead soul and an alive body. How did the soul revive?
The body "sleeps" and goes back to dust. The following verses refer to the state of the body in death as sleep: Matthew 9:24: "He began to say, "Depart; for the girl has not died, but is asleep." And they were laughing at Him."
For it was Jesus who said in Jn.2:19 He would raise up his own body, an impossible task to do if you no longer existing after death.
Jesus taught that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the living, not of the dead, referring to Moses at the burning bush. The purpose was to prove life exists beyond death, that God is still (not was) the God of the living. That the Saints of old were still alive "for all live unto Him." This silenced the Sadducee’s who challenged Him on this matter because they did not believe in an afterlife and it should do the same for those Sadducees today who say that a soul cannot live after the body dies.
In Mt.27:52 The scripture writes that at the time of the resurrection of Jesus many
Bodies of the
saints which
slept arose. Notice what slept, the bodies. And the bodies arose, not their souls. The spirit that continues to exists is put back in the body animating it to life.
some claim the soul or spirit is just another word for breath since this is what the Hebrew word
Ruach means. That when someone dies their breath leaves them.
Lets substitute the word breath where Spirit is and see if it makes any sense scripturally?<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = U1 /><U1
> </U1
>
<U1
></U1
><?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O
></O
>
<O
>Job 34:14-15: “If He should set His heart on it, if He should gather to Himself Spirit (
His breath?) and His breath, All flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.” Here both breath and spirit are distinguished otherwise one would be gathering to himself spirit and his spirit or breath and his breath. <U1
></U1
><O
></O
>
Ps. 19:7: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the
Breath, the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;” The conversion is to ones soul, their inner being so it can rule over their body.<U1
> </U1
><O
></O
>
2 Cor. 7:1: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
Breath (spirit),” Does this mean we take breath mints?<U1
> </U1
><O
></O
>
Gal 6:8: “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the
breath ( Spirit ) will of the
breath (Spirit)reap everlasting life.”
<O
></O
>
<O
>What of Jesus, did he use this definition? Matt. 12:43 “When an unclean
Breath, (spirit) “goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.” Certainly he did not mean bad breath. Just as man can have the Holy Spirit live within him alongside his human Spirit so he can have a unclean spirit live in him.<U1
> </U1
><O
></O
>
Luke 4:36: “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean
Breaths, (spirit) and they come out.” <U1
></U1
><O
></O
>
Acts 5:16: “Bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean
Breath,” (spirit), and they were all healed.” I guess some peoples souls need breath freshener! Jesus cast out spirit entities not peoples breath, and if he did they would certainly die on the spot.<U1
> </U1
><O
></O
>
Luke 12:19: “And I will say to my
Breath, “
Breath,”(spirit), you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” Can ones breath eat and drink.<U1
> </U1
><O
></O
>
James 5:20 “ let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a
Breath, (soul) from death and cover a multitude of sins.” Can breath be saved or a person. <U1
></U1
><O
></O
>
2 Pet. 2:8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous
Breath, (spirit) from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--<U1
> <O
></O
>
Ezek. 18:4: “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Can breathe die? Obviously this means something than just air in the lungs.
1 Sam 30:6 “ because
the soul of all the people was grieved.”
Num. 21:4 “ and
the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.”
Prov. 21:10 “T
he soul of the wicked desires evil” Can breath do any of these things, or does it communicate emotion, intelligence and personality?
Gen. 34:8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.” Is Shechem's breath desiring a wife? <O
></O
>
Pnuema means wind in Greek it also means breath and spirit. Ruach in Hebrew means wind, it too also can mean breath and spirit. Since Hebrew and Greek have only one word for wind breath and spirit one needs to discern what is meant by certain passages, the context defines the meaning.
Jesus breathed on his disciples in John 20 saying receive the Spirit, the rushing wind in Acts is certainly to be interpreted as the Spirit.
When Jesus breathed on the apostles the Holy Spirit in Jn.20:22 he wasn't giving them
Breath for life but the Holy Spirit in some capacity.<U1
> </U1
><O
>
If Spirit is breath and God is Spirit is He breath to? We can see how ludicrous this position of interpretation is.</O
> Certainly when Jesus spoke to the Father into your hands I commend my Spirit he was not speaking of his breath. </U1
><O
></O
>
I think the point is clear, Spirit does not mean breath although at times it is used metaphorically.<U1
> </U1
><O
></O
>
</O
></O
>
