SPELLING EDITED I have several other studies on the doctrine of soul sleep but they can become extremely long. So I decided to break those studies down to cover the specific individual verses that are used to try and prove that the soul sleeps in the grave in an unconscious state until the first resurrection that takes place at the coming of Jesus. I thought about calling this study “What about the verses that refute soul sleep?” Those who teach the doctrine of soul sleep use two or three verses to make a single argument. Their MAIN argument is that Christians do NOT go DIRECTLY STRAIGHT to Heaven when they die. But rather they teach that the SOULS of Christians SLEEP in the GRAVE in an UNCONSCIOUS state until the first resurrection at the return of Jesus. However, they have several smaller SINGLE arguments that they build upon or connect together to try and prove their main argument. So then, their fourth argument is to try and prove that the SOUL REMAINS WITH the body IN the GRAVE IN an UNCONSCIOUS STATE until the resurrection. And thus they again conclude that NO ONE goes to Heaven the very moment that a person dies. If you have read the study “SOUL SLEEP---ERROR #1” and “SOUL SLEEP---ERROR #2”, then you can see how they CHANGE what they teach from their first argument that the living soul is made up of just two parts. And if either part is taken away then the soul is NO MORE. In other words, they CHANGE from saying that the living soul is NO MORE to now saying that the living soul is DEAD. Please read “SOUL SLEEP---ERROR #1.” In that study, I show how they have incorrectly interpreted Genesis 2:7 and Ecclesiastes 12:27 to try and prove that we are made up of just TWO parts, the body, and the spirit. And in study number three we covered John 3:13 and Acts 2:34 that they use to try and prove that there are NO SOULS up in Heaven under the altar as Revelation 6:9-11 plainly teaches. And in study number four we covered all the verses that they use to try and prove that the SOUL REMAINS IN the GRAVE WITH the decaying body until the resurrection. And in study number five we covered all five verses used to try and prove that the soul sleeps in the grave in an UNCONSCIOUS STATE until the resurrection. But for now, let us continue with this study number 6 to expose the error of interpretation of those who teach the doctrine of soul sleep by giving YOU all the verses that REFUTE soul sleep. I implore you to take the time to look up every single verse and read them in their context so that you can see directly from God’s word that there are FAR MORE VERSES that give us SOUND Biblical evidence to prove that the doctrine of soul sleep is NOT SOUND Biblical teaching. . I will be quoting from my much longer study called: DO CHRISTIANS GO TO HEAVEN WHEN THEY DIE? SECTION SIX Now, to me and many other Christians, we believe that the soul leaves the body upon death and it is indeed conscious. We say that the soul is connected to the spirit UNTIL the day of judgment. And we teach that it will only be the souls of the wicked that will be destroyed in the lake of fire on the final Day of Judgment. Thus to us, the soul of the wicked will not be separated from the spirit of LIFE UNTIL the final day of judgment. And it will be THEN that God will destroy both the resurrected body and the soul of the wicked in the lake of fire. And THEN, at that time the spirit will return to God AFTER the souls of the wicked are CONSUMED in the lake of fire on the final Day of Judgment at the END of the 1000 year reign of Jesus. In other words, the spirit of the breath of life does NOT return to God at the moment a person dies. Therefore, to us, who do NOT believe in the soul sleep doctrine, teach that the soul of the righteous in Jesus Christ that is connected to the spirit leaves the body upon death and go to be present with the Lord in heaven to await the resurrection. And the souls of the wicked go down into Sheol, the holding place of the wicked dead, to await their final judgment at the END of the Millennium. And thus, to us, both the souls of the righteous dead and the souls of the wicked dead are fully conscious and aware of their reward after a person dies physically.
And here is the list of verses that refute the doctrine of soul sleep.
Genesis 35:18. Matthew 17:1-8. Luke 16:19-31. Luke 20:38. Luke 23:43. John 5:24. John 8:52. John 11:25,26. Acts 7:55-60. Ephesians 1:9,10. Ephesians 3:14,15. Hebrews 12:1,23. 2 Corinthians 5:5-8. Philippians 1:23,24.
The following verses clearly teach us that the soul and spirit are conscious in the heart of the earth called Paradise in the Old Testament. Jesus descended first into the belly or the heart of the earth and preached the gospel to the Old Testament saints in the bosom of Abraham to be saved by the only name given among men whereby they must be saved because Scripture cannot be broken. Also, please read the study “WHAT AND WHERE IS PARADISE?”
Ephesians 4:9,10. Acts 4:12. John 10:35. 1 Peter 3:18,19. 1 Peter 4:6. Matthew 27:52,53.
When Jesus was resurrected many saints arose with or after him being led out of Hades to their new temporary Paradise is heaven under the altar of God. The following verses teach us that Paradise was moved from the heart of the earth up to the third heaven, which is where the throne of God resides. And now under the New Covenant written in the New Testament, the souls of the righteous dead in Jesus Christ are in heaven under the altar awaiting their change or their new immortal bodies at the first resurrection.
Psalm 68:18. Ephesians 4:8 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. Revelation 6:9-11.
The following verses teach us that the souls in heaven, which are the saints, will God bring with him from heaven to be reunited with their newly resurrected body.
Revelations 7:9-14. Revelation 19:5-15. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Deuteronomy 33:2. Jude 1:14,15. Zechariah 14:5 Job 19:25-27. Hebrews 4:12.
The following verses teach us that after Jesus preach to the souls or spirit in prison, the holding place of the dead on the Paradise side, he then descended further to the lowest part of hell where the souls of the dead chanted at him and tormented him. Then Jesus cried out to God to deliver him and bring him out of the pit, the lowest part of hell and God heard his cry and did not leave his soul in hell.
Psalm 30:3. Psalm 16:10. Psalm 42:11. Psalm 63:9. Psalm 86:13. Psalm 142:7. Psalm 143:3 Psalm 18:5,6. Psalm 40:1,2. Psalm 69:13-18. Psalm 116:3,4. Psalm 130:1,2. Lamentations 3:18-20,52-66. Jonah 2:1-7.
Now again, with every controversial subject or church doctrine, it is NOT that the Scriptures themselves contradict one another. But rather it is the way some verses are INTERPRETED that cause the contradiction and controversy among Christians as to which teaching is Biblical and to which teaching is not Biblical. So then, in every controversial subject, we have a choice to make and that choice is WHICH verses do we go back and RETHINK of another way to interpret those verses so that there is NO contradiction in what we conclude and teach as Bible doctrine? Well, in this SERIES of six studies called “SOUL SLEEP---ERROR #1 through ERROR #6”, I have chosen to use the shorter list of verses to closely consider to see if there are other ways to interpret those verses to agree with the rest of God’s word having NO contradictions. If you would like to read all six types of errors made by those who teach the doctrine of soul sleep all together in one study then please read the study “DO CHRISTIANS GO TO HEAVEN WHEN THEY DIE?” So then, on the side used to try and support the doctrine of soul sleep I have found 13 verses. And on the other side that refutes the doctrine of soul sleep, I have found 46 verses. So since 13 verses are far less than 46 verses I chose to use the shorter list of verse to re-think and find alternate interpretations that agree with the rest of God’s word. Now, simply choosing the SHORTER list of verses is not my only criteria as to which verses to rethink. For you see, the rules of “interpretation” teach us that we should always use the clear, plain, and simple verses that do not need any interpretation to understand what they mean. And since the New Testament REVEALS the true meaning of the Old Testament I personally choose to interpret the Old Testament verses in the LIGHT of the New Testament verses. So then, when both the Old Testament and the New Testament verses SEEM to be equal in their simplicity, then the rules of “interpretation” teach us that we are to interpret the Old Testament verses in the light of the New Testament verses. Now, PART of error #6 is that in every false teaching a Christian hears what SEEMS to be a reasonable argument and then accepts that argument as their FINAL choice. In other words, ONCE a Christian makes up their mind that they are right and everyone else is wrong then it is hard to get them to take a CLOSER look at the many verses that they have EXPLAINED AWAY. To say this another way, we all know that there are at least two sides to every controversy. And instead of keeping on explaining away the verses used by the other side of the controversy we should closely examine the verses of Scripture that we use to DEFEND what we believe. For you see, what we have come to believe MAY be in ERROR.
Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God. Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark. RETURN TO HOMEPAGE AT For further study on this subject errors of interpretation made by Christians who teach the doctrine of soul sleep please read all the studies under the heading >>>THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF SOUL SLEEP<<< |
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