First Word
The concept of Soul Sleep has been around since
dirt.
While silent for years, it is now embraced in
conservative Christian circles.
The argument on Soul Sleep is based on “When does the soul
enjoy the rewards of heaven”
Webster: Soul – An entity which is regarded as being the immortal
or spiritual part of the person and though having no physical or
material reality is credited with the functions of thinking and willing
and hence determining all behavior
Wikipedia: Soul Sleep - The interval between death and the judgment, the
soul sleeps – The phrase “Soul Sleep” does not occur in the Bible.
* In Catholicism, most souls temporarily stay in Purgatory to be purified
for Heaven.
* Most Protestants believe the soul is judged to go to Heaven or Hell
immediately after death
The “mortality” of the
soul has been held throughout the history of both Judaism and Christianity.
The View
- The flow of
“consciousness” is dependent upon the senses.
- NT scripture often
relates to death as “sleep” – A time when yours physical senses are
suspended. - Your Soul ceases to
participate in activities – In the OT it is called “rest”.
- The grave is silent,
no planning, wisdom, knowledge, singing or praising. – Just rest – waiting
for the “Day of Judgment”.
- I include more
scriptures than you want to read that can support the doctrine of
soul sleep.
Matt 27:52 – Fallen asleep
52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of
the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; NKJV
Luke 8:52 - Sleeping
52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said,
"Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." NKJV
John 11:11–13 – Rest in
sleep
11 These things He said, and after that He said to
them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him
up."
12 Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he
sleeps he will get well."
13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but
they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. NKJV
Acts 7:60 – Fell asleep
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud
voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said
this, he fell asleep.
1 Cor 15:6 – Some have
fallen asleep
6 He was seen by over five hundred brethren at
once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen
asleep.
Acts 7:60 – He fell asleep
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud
voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said
this, he fell asleep.
NKJV
1 Cor 15:6 – Fallen asleep
6 After that He was seen by over five hundred
brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have
fallen asleep. NKJV
1 Cor 15:17-19 – Fallen
asleep
18 Then
those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. NIV
1 Thess 4:13 - Sleep
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant
about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have
no hope. NIV
Gen 47:30 – Called rest in
the OT
30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry
me out of Egypt
Deut 31:16 – Rest like
your fathers rested
16 And the LORD said to Moses: "You are going
to rest with your fathers, NIV
2 Sam 7:12 – Death is rest
2 When your days are over and you rest with
your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, NIV
Ps 115:17 – Silence in the
grave
17 It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those
who go down to silence; NIV
Ps 146:4 – No planning
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the
ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. NIV
Eccl 9:10 – No knowledge or wisdom
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all
your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working
nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. NIV
Isa 38:18 – No singing or
praising
18 For the grave cannot praise you, death
cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your
faithfulness. NIV
Death and the Grave
- God has promised that
we will not be abandoned to the grave – That death in Him is better
than life on earth.
- When our soul is absent
from the body it will be present with Him in an assembly of
Saints.
- We will have all our
senses; eating, tasting, feeling, seeing, hearing, touching, singing and
praising.
- We will be in His
presence; Face to Face; given wisdom and knowledge to understand all we
have always wondered about.
- If your soul is
asleep, you can do none of these things.
- The term Sleep
in the scriptures is a ” refined”
or “kind” way to say death; like instead of saying “Having Sex”,
they would say “He knew her”.
Ps 16:10 – We will not be abandoned to the grave
10 Because you will not abandon me to the
grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
2 Cor 5:8 – Absent from
the body – Present with the Lord
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be
absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. NKJV
Phil 1:21-23 – In Christ -
Death is far better than life
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is
gain.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. NKJV
Heb 12:23 – An assembly
23 to the general assembly and church of
the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to
the spirits of just men made perfect, ASV
Matt 8:11 – They will gather and eat
11 I say to you that many will come from
the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. NIV
Ps 16:11 – Filled with joy and eternal pleasures.
11 You have made known to me the path of life; you
will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at
your right hand. NIV
Ps 17:15 -18:1 – Will awake - be satisfied – Will see
15 And I--in righteousness I will see your
face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your
likeness. NIV
Luke 16:22-24 – See, feel and
have emotions after death
22 The time came when the beggar died and the
angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked
up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
24 So he called to him, `Father Abraham, have
pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool
my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' NIV
John 17:24 – We will be
and see with Him
24 "Father, I want those you have given me to
be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given
me because you loved me before the creation of the world. NIV
Rom 8:18 – Glory that will be revealed
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not
worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us NIV
1 Cor 13:12 – We will see Him face to face
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a
mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall
know fully, even as I am fully known. NIV
Luke 1:34 – Mary had not “known” a man
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this
be, since I do not know a man?" NKJV
Road Trip
- In Revelation; every
tribe, tongue, people and nation including those who had their heads cut
off will take a road trip and gather and sing a new song,.
- We will all be busy serving Him who sits
on the throne. – We can’t do this asleep.
Rev 5:9 – Every tribe,
tongue, people and nation
9 And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy
art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain,
and didst purchase unto God with thy blood (men) of every tribe, and tongue,
and people, and nation, ASV
Rev 14:3 – We will sing a
new song
3 and they sing as it were a new song
before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders: and no
man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, (even)
they that had been purchased out of the earth. ASV
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God;
and they serve him day and night in his temple: ASV
Rev 20:4 – Those that were
martyred reigning with Christ
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and (I saw) the souls of them that had been
beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God ASV
Conscious without a body
- God does not have a
body, nor do “most” of the Angels have a body, but all have
consciousness and senses. – We do not need a body to be conscious.
- For more information
on the Angels body form; see NYOBS
7 - Eschatology/Angels.
- You can have music in
your soul without a guitar or a piano. – Before I-pods, you could see
people walking down the street, snapping their fingers and jiving; and no
sound was heard.
- When our body; our
earthly tent is destroyed, we have a new one waiting on us from God.
- My new body will be
thin and almost transparent with a slight gold color as if covered with
water. - It will be free, weightless, uncontained, unlimited by the laws
of nature, a body that is indestructible, indescribable, and incomparable;
able to move at the speed of thought. - And to use a theological term… It
will be Awesome (Just
saying; no scripture)
- The Holy Spirit has
given the believer a “deposit” as a “guarantee” of what is
to come.
- If the souls of the Saints
are asleep;
they will be unable to participate in the activities of heaven that are already
in progress.
- As soon as we die, we
are ushered into His presence by His angels. – We will see and hear
inexpressible things – SELAH ( a musical notation that means; cut loose,
get happy and do your thing )
- I’m not making this stuff
up; read it for your self.
- The Believer walks by his Faith, not by his feelings.
2 Cor 5:8 – As soon as we
die, we are in His presence
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to
be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. NKJV
Luke 16:22 – The Angels await to take you home
22 The time came when the beggar died and the
angels carried him to Abraham's side.
2 Cor 5:1-8 – When our
body is dead, we will have a new one
1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in
is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven,
not built by human hands.
4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are
burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our
heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5 Now it is God who has made us for this very
purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing
what is to come.
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that
as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to
be away from the body and at home with the Lord. NIV
2 Cor 12:2-4 - Heard
inexpressible things
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago
was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I know that this man-whether in the body or
apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-
4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man
is not permitted to tell. NIV
Abraham's Bosom
- Abraham’s Bosom is very controversial;
that’s why I comment on it and accept the criticism.
- In Biblical times, people would
recline as they ate.
- Reclining near the head guy was
referred to as reclining “in his bosom”; a place of honor.
- At one time there was a place called Abraham’s Bosom located in
a compartment of Hell. This was where the “righteous good” went after
death. – There they “tarried” till
the resurrection.
- During this time of “tarring”, the
people were awake having emotions, feelings, and dialog – This was
not Soul Sleep, Purgatory or Limo. – None of which are found in
scripture.
- Wikipedia: Limbo was the abode of people
who, before Jesus' Resurrection, had died in the friendship of God, but
had to wait for Christ to open heaven's gates.
- Limbo was said to be located on the edge of Hell; not exactily in
and not exactally out.
- Before Christ died, “the repentant
thief” asked to be remembered and Jesus told him that today he
would be with Him in
- At Christ’s death on the Cross, He
went to Abraham’s Bosom also known as
- Time is somewhat of an abstract for
the dead, and exists only for the living; and is only a pin point of
existence somewhere between eternity past and eternity future.
- Jesus appeared to Mary before He
ascended to Heaven collaborating that
- When Jesus ascended, He took “
- Hell has now been enlarged to receive
all the new folks for the last 2000 years.
- On the day of Pentecost, Christ gave the
gift of the Holy Spirit, plus a whole bunch more.
- Today when we go to “rest with the
fathers”, we are immediately active with Christ
Luke 23:43 – Today you
will be in Paradise
43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth,
today you will be with me in paradise." NIV
Luke 16:22-23 – Abraham’s
Bosom – Paradise in Hell
22 the beggar died- carried by the angels into Abraham's
bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being
in torments. KJV
Eph 4:9 – Christ descended
into Hell
9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he
also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? KJV
Matt 12:40 – Three days in
Hell
40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in
the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth. NIV
1 Peter 3:18 -20 – He preached in Hell – In Abrahams Bosom
18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the
righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the
body but made alive by the Spirit,
19 through whom also he went and preached to
the spirits in prison
NIV
John 8:32 – The truth set the captives free
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free." NIV
John 20:11 -17 – I have not yet ascended to the Father
11 Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept
15 "Woman," he said, "why are you
crying? Who are you looking for?"
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned
toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means
Teacher).
17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for
I have not yet returned to the Father. " NIV
Eph 4:8 – He took all
those in Abrahams Bosom to heaven
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up
on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Holy Spirit day of Pentecost) KJV
Acts 2:1-4 – Gave gifts
day of Pentecost
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all
together in one place.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. NIV
1 Cor 12:7-10 – Gave gifts
to men
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom
through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same
Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to
another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to
another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another
different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
NKJV
2 Cor 5:8 – Today at
death, we are immediately with Christ
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to
be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. NKJV
Soul Sleep Summary
- You can certainly
build a case for “Soul Sleep” if you haven’t read the whole Bible.
- John Calvin refuted Soul Sleep
during the 19th century in his writings Psychopannychia
which is the concept that most Protestants embrace today.
- The Bible uses the
term “rest with the fathers “or “sleep” to speak of death.
- Abraham’s
Bosom
was also called
- At the resurrection,
the Soul gets a new indescribable body and enjoys every activity you can
dream of and more – things that cannot be comprehended in the natural.
- There is not a place
called Purgatory, Limo or a state called Soul Sleep.
- The doctrine of Soul
Sleep is taught in error. 2 Cor 5:8
- The NT teaches that
when the believer dies,
he is immediately face to face with the Lord.
- Time is only present
for the living
– it does not exist in the spiritual realm – In fact you could say that
6000 years of people all died at the same time and all are resurrected at
the same time.
- For more information
on “Time” see NYOBS 1; Bible
study on “The Fourth Dimension”
In the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Prov 11:14
I
am grateful for those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical
information, and scripture verses.
Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further than I
otherwise ever could have.
A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical
– Eerdmans
A Survey of Israel’s History - Wood
Arithmetic of God; The – Don Iistler
Baptism Commentary – John Harvey
Bible Almanac; The – Packer Tenney White
Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer
Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row
Bible on the life hereafter; The – William Hendriksen
CARM – Christian Apologetics
and Research Ministry – M.J. Slick
Commentary on the Bible - Baker
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Vol 2; The – Gaebelein
Great Doctrines of the Bible Vol 6 - W. A. Criswell
Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s
Illustrated Manners & Customs of the Bible – Packer/Tenney
International Version Bible – NIV
Invisible
War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse
Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan
New International Dictionary of the Bible; The –
Douglas /Tenny New
Today’s Dictionary of the Bible:
Readers Digest
Victor Journey through the Bible; The - Beers
Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner
Wikipedia Encyclopedia
Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison
- Along with the
Apocrypha, I have also enjoyed “The
lost books of the Bible” and “The
forgotten books of
- Writings outside of
the Bible
should be viewed as “informational”, but not authoritative. They give
insight to customs, manners and thoughts of a
particular culture at a particular time in history. – Many of these will include
folklore, superstition and “embellishments”.
- Prove scripture with
scripture, line upon line, and precept upon precept.
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