| Life, Death, Then... What?
The first recorded lie in the Bible was that mankind can sin and
still live.
Genesis 3:1-4 Now the serpent was more subtil than
any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said
unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every
tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We
may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the
fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath
said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest
ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely
die:
The Bible says that souls which sin, shall die.
Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the
soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul
that sinneth, it shall die.
James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth
the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death,
and shall hide a multitude of sins.
A body formed from the ground + the breath of life = a living
soul.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust
of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul. (Note: A soul in the Bible is always
a man, bird, fish or animal — anything with a combination
of a body and the breath of life. It is never a conscious entity
apart from the body. Examples : Acts 2:41; Gen. 46:27;
Acts 27:37; Rev. 16:3).
The meaning of "Spirit" is the breath of life.
Job 27:3 All the while my breath is in me, and the
spirit of God is in my nostrils; (The breath which God gave him,
margin).
Breath of life = Spirit of life. This "breath" is the
power of God which He imparts to living creatures to give them life.
This power is removed at death and is not returned until the resurrection.
Genesis 7:22 All in whose nostrils was the breath
of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. (Spirit of life,
margin).
The breath of life subtracted from the body equals death.
Psalms 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled:
thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
At death, the body returns to dust; the spirit/breath of life
returns to God.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to
the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who
gave it.
The body without the spirit/breath is dead.
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit (breath,
margin) is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Jesus Commended His spirit/breath of life into His Father's hands,
breathed His last breathe and died.
Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud
voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and
having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
The spirit/breath of life that is given to mankind is the same
breath of life an animal possess until it is forfeited at death.
Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 For that which befalleth the
sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as
the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath;
so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to
dust again.
Jesus called death a sleep.
John 11:11-14 These things said he: and after that
he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that
I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord,
if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death:
but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
The Dead know nothing; they have no memory of the things done
while alive, and all their feelings are perished.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 For the living know that they
shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they
any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also
their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished;
neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that
is done under the sun.
The dead do not return to this earth, to their homes or freinds.
Job 7:9-10 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth
away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place
know him any more.
Job 16:22 When a few years are come, then I shall
go the way whence I shall not return.
There is no work, knowledge or wisdom in the grave. The dead are
not conscience of the things taking place in heaven or earth.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to
do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor
knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
The dead are not in heaven praising the Lord.
Psalms 115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither
any that go down into silence.
Even David, the "Man after God's own heart" is not in
heaven, but is awaiting the resurrection.
Acts 2:29,34,35 Men and brethren, let me freely
speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and
buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 34 For David
is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make
thy foes thy footstool.
The dead are not cognant/conscience until the resurrection.
Job 14:12-14 So man lieth down, and riseth not:
till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised
out of their sleep. 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave,
that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that
thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a
man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time
will I wait, till my change come.
Four times in John 6 Jesus says that the resurrection will take
place the day of His visible return.
John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath
sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing,
but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent
me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him,
may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last
day.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last
day.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my
blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last
day.
Both the rigtheous and the wicked dead are in the grave awaiting
the voice of the "Live-giver" — Jesus Christ, but the resurrection
of the righteous and the wicked occur at different times (see also
Revelation 20:5).
John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is
coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his
voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto
the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation.
The crown of righteousness awaiting the faithful is given at the
visible appearing of Christ. The appearance is with all of the angels
and in the glory of the Father (Matt 24:30;Matt 16:27).
2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered,
and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good
fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me
only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
God alone is immortal, and immortality is a gift that only the
redeemed recieve by faith. The Bible does not use the phrase "immortal
soul", and the word "immortal" is used only once
in all of scripture (I Tim 1:17).
1 Timothy 6:15-16 Which in his times he shall shew,
who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and
Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light
which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can
see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
The just who live by faith recieve immortality at the second-coming
of Christ. In the language of the patriarch Job (Job 14:12-14),
this is when our change comes. Those who are saved in Christ will
all be changed at the last trumpet call (Matt 24:31) as Jesus comes.
The righteous dead will then be raised from the dead, transformed
from a sinful nature to a glorified nature, and given immortal life.
1 Corinthians 15:51-55 Behold, I shew you a mystery;
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put
on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that
is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
When Jesus comes with a shout, the voice of the archangel and
the trumpet call, the dead will then be raised to meet Jesus in
the air and forever be with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I would not have you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto
you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The idea that we possess
immortality and eternal life outside of Christ is a satanic delusion.
Immortality and life are gifts that come by accepting the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing
of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
If we are secure in Jesus today, our future is secure as well.
Jesus has the keys to death and He alone has power over the grave.
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys
of hell and of death.
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