A detailed Quick Facts Bible study examining what Scripture teaches about the state of the dead. The study compares the widespread Christian belief that people remain consciously alive after death with passages describing the dead as asleep and awaiting resurrection. Key Scriptures include Ecclesiastes 9:5–10, John 11:11–14, John 20:17, 1 Corinthians 15:20–23, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17, John 5:28–29 and Revelation 20:4–15.
PART 1 — WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?
The Bible’s Language of Death and Sleep
This will contain Quick Facts 1–10:
- The Bible describes death as sleep
- Jesus called death “sleep”
- Martha expected Lazarus to rise “at the last day”
- Jesus did not say Lazarus was alive in heaven
- “The dead know not any thing” — Ecclesiastes 9:5
- “In death there is no remembrance” — Psalm 6:5
- “The dead praise not the LORD” — Psalm 115:17
- At death, “his thoughts perish” — Psalm 146:4
- Job described death as sleep
- Jesus said those in the graves will hear His voice and come forth — John 5:28–29
PART 1 — WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?
THE BIBLE’S LANGUAGE OF DEATH AND SLEEP
INTRODUCTION
What actually happens to us when we die?
This is one of the greatest questions mankind has ever asked.
Many Christians have been taught that death is not really death.
They have been taught that when a saved Christian dies, an immortal soul immediately leaves the body and continues consciously living in heaven with Jesus.
Many are also taught that the unsaved dead remain consciously alive in Hades, awaiting the final judgment.
I once accepted teachings like these myself.
But when we put aside traditions and begin searching the Scriptures, we must ask:
IS THIS REALLY WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES?
Before examining difficult passages such as the thief on the cross, the rich man and Lazarus, “absent from the body,” and Paul's desire to “depart, and to be with Christ,” we first need to establish something much more fundamental:
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE NORMALLY SAY HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON DIES?
What did Jesus call death?
What did the prophets call death?
And when did Jesus say the dead would live again?
Let us begin with the clearest Scriptures.
QUICK FACT 1 — THE BIBLE REPEATEDLY DESCRIBES DEATH AS SLEEP
One of the most important facts in this entire study is remarkably simple:
THE BIBLE REPEATEDLY COMPARES DEATH WITH SLEEP.
Consider Daniel's prophecy:
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake...”
— Daniel 12:2, KJV
Notice exactly what Daniel says.
They:
“SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH.”
And eventually they:
“SHALL AWAKE.”
This gives us a remarkably simple biblical picture:
DEATH → SLEEP
RESURRECTION → AWAKENING
They are not described here as consciously living in heaven or consciously suffering somewhere beneath the earth.
They are described as:
ASLEEP.
And one day:
THEY WILL AWAKE.
QUICK FACT 2 — JESUS HIMSELF CALLED DEATH “SLEEP”
We do not have to rely only upon the Old Testament.
Jesus used exactly the same language.
When Lazarus died, Jesus told His disciples:
“Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.”
— John 11:11, KJV
The disciples misunderstood Him.
They thought Lazarus was literally sleeping.
So Jesus explained exactly what He meant:
“Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”
— John 11:14, KJV
This could hardly be clearer.
Jesus said:
“LAZARUS SLEEPETH.”
Then Jesus explained:
“LAZARUS IS DEAD.”
Therefore, in this passage:
SLEEP = DEATH.
And what was Jesus going to do?
AWAKEN HIM.
This gives us a beautiful biblical picture:
DEATH IS THE SLEEP.
RESURRECTION IS THE AWAKENING.
QUICK FACT 3 — MARTHA EXPECTED LAZARUS TO RISE “AT THE LAST DAY”
There is another extremely important detail in the story of Lazarus.
Jesus told Martha:
“Thy brother shall rise again.”
— John 11:23, KJV
Notice Martha's response:
“I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
— John 11:24, KJV
Martha did not answer:
“I know Lazarus is already alive in heaven.”
Her hope was:
THE RESURRECTION.
And when did she expect it?
“AT THE LAST DAY.”
Jesus then declared:
“I am the resurrection, and the life.”
— John 11:25, KJV
The emphasis is upon RESURRECTION.
Death is not presented as the believer's final victory.
RESURRECTION FROM DEATH IS.
QUICK FACT 4 — JESUS NEVER SAID LAZARUS WAS ALIVE IN HEAVEN
Think carefully about what happens in John chapter 11.
Lazarus had been dead for four days.
Yet Jesus never comforts Martha by saying:
“Lazarus isn't really dead. He is alive with God in heaven.”
Instead:
JESUS CALLS LAZARUS' DEATH “SLEEP.”
JESUS THEN SAYS PLAINLY THAT LAZARUS IS DEAD.
MARTHA EXPECTS HIM TO RISE “AT THE LAST DAY.”
Then Jesus goes to the tomb and cries:
“Lazarus, come forth.”
— John 11:43, KJV
What happened?
“And he that was dead came forth...”
— John 11:44, KJV
Notice those words:
“HE THAT WAS DEAD.”
The passage does not tell us that Lazarus' immortal soul came down from heaven and re-entered his body.
It tells us:
LAZARUS WAS DEAD.
JESUS CALLED HIM.
LAZARUS CAME FORTH.
LAZARUS LIVED AGAIN.
This is RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 5 — “THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING”
Now consider one of the Bible's most direct statements concerning the dead:
“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing...”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5, KJV
Please read those words again:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
Ecclesiastes continues:
“Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished...”
— Ecclesiastes 9:6, KJV
And:
“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.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:10, KJV
Notice what is absent:
NO WORK.
NO KNOWLEDGE.
NO WISDOM.
The dead are not described here as continuing normal conscious existence somewhere else.
The Bible says:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
PART 1 CONCLUSION
So what have we discovered from our first five Quick Facts?
DANIEL describes the dead as sleeping in the dust and eventually awakening.
JESUS describes Lazarus' death as sleep.
MARTHA expects Lazarus to rise “at the last day.”
LAZARUS is explicitly described as “dead.”
And ECCLESIASTES says:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
Already we have a serious biblical question to consider.
If the dead are consciously alive somewhere else, why does Scripture repeatedly describe death as:
SLEEP?
Why must the dead:
AWAKE?
Why did Martha expect Lazarus to rise:
“AT THE LAST DAY”?
And why does Ecclesiastes explicitly say:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING”?
BUT THERE IS MUCH MORE EVIDENCE TO EXAMINE.
In the next part we will discover what the Bible says happens to:
OUR THOUGHTS.
OUR KNOWLEDGE.
OUR PRAISE.
OUR CONSCIOUSNESS.
And we will examine where Jesus says the dead are when He finally calls them back to life.
COMING NEXT:
PART 2 — WHAT DO THE DEAD KNOW?
THE BIBLE’S DESCRIPTION OF DEATH, SILENCE AND THE GRAVE
We will examine:
“IN DEATH THERE IS NO REMEMBRANCE.”
— Psalm 6:5
“THE DEAD PRAISE NOT THE LORD.”
— Psalm 115:17
“IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
— Psalm 146:4
Job's extraordinary description of waiting in death until God calls him.
And finally Jesus' own words:
“ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE,
AND SHALL COME FORTH.”
— John 5:28–29
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE EVIDENCE.
TEST EVERYTHING.
AND FOLLOW THE TRUTH WHEREVER IT LEADS.
A detailed Quick Facts Bible study image for Part 2 of “Are the Dead Alive or Dead?” examining the biblical description of death, silence and the grave. It highlights Psalm 6:5, Psalm 115:17, Psalm 146:4, Job 14:14–15 and John 5:28–29, asking whether the dead remain consciously alive or await the future resurrection when Jesus calls the dead from their graves.
PART 2 — WHAT DO THE DEAD KNOW? Does consciousness continue after death, or does the Bible describe the dead as silent and awaiting resurrection?
In this part we examine some remarkable biblical statements: “In death there is no remembrance” (Psalm 6:5), “The dead praise not the LORD” (Psalm 115:17), and “In that very day his thoughts perish” (Psalm 146:4).
We will also examine Job’s expectation of waiting until God called him and the powerful words of Jesus in John 5:28–29: “All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth.”
Search the Scriptures and compare the evidence for yourself.
PART 2 — WHAT DO THE DEAD KNOW?
THE BIBLE’S DESCRIPTION OF DEATH, SILENCE AND THE GRAVE
INTRODUCTION
In Part 1 we discovered something remarkably consistent.
The Bible repeatedly describes death as SLEEP.
Daniel spoke of those who:
“SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH”
— Daniel 12:2
Jesus said of Lazarus:
“OUR FRIEND LAZARUS SLEEPETH”
— John 11:11
Then Jesus explained plainly:
“LAZARUS IS DEAD.”
— John 11:14
Martha expected Lazarus to:
“RISE AGAIN IN THE RESURRECTION AT THE LAST DAY.”
— John 11:24
And Ecclesiastes tells us:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5
But the evidence does not stop there.
What happens to our thoughts when we die?
Do the dead praise God?
Are they described as consciously worshipping in heaven?
Or does Scripture describe death as silence and unconsciousness until God raises the dead?
Let us continue searching the Scriptures.
QUICK FACT 6 — “IN DEATH THERE IS NO REMEMBRANCE”
David prayed:
“For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?”
— Psalm 6:5, KJV
Please notice exactly what David says:
“IN DEATH THERE IS NO REMEMBRANCE OF THEE.”
Then:
“IN THE GRAVE WHO SHALL GIVE THEE THANKS?”
This raises a very important question.
If saved believers immediately become consciously alive in heaven when they die, praising and worshipping God, why would David say:
“IN DEATH THERE IS NO REMEMBRANCE OF THEE”?
Why would he ask:
“IN THE GRAVE WHO SHALL GIVE THEE THANKS?”
The natural reading fits what we discovered in Part 1:
THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP.
THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING.
THE DEAD ARE WAITING FOR RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 7 — “THE DEAD PRAISE NOT THE LORD”
Psalm 115 gives us another striking statement:
“The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”
— Psalm 115:17, KJV
Read those words carefully:
“THE DEAD PRAISE NOT THE LORD.”
Where are they described as going?
“DOWN INTO SILENCE.”
This is extremely important.
If God's faithful servants immediately become consciously alive in heaven at death, we might expect Scripture to say:
THE DEAD ARE PRAISING GOD IN HEAVEN.
But this Psalm says the opposite:
“THE DEAD PRAISE NOT THE LORD.”
And describes death as:
SILENCE.
Compare this with Ecclesiastes:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5
The biblical picture is becoming increasingly consistent.
QUICK FACT 8 — AT DEATH, “HIS THOUGHTS PERISH”
Now consider Psalm 146.
The Psalm warns:
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”
— Psalm 146:3, KJV
Then it tells us what happens when a human being dies:
“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”
— Psalm 146:4, KJV
Notice the sequence:
HIS BREATH GOES FORTH.
↓
HE RETURNS TO THE EARTH.
↓
“IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
This is an extraordinarily important statement.
The text does not say:
His BODY dies, but his conscious mind continues thinking somewhere else.
It says:
“HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
Compare the evidence we have accumulated:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5
“IN DEATH THERE IS NO REMEMBRANCE.”
— Psalm 6:5
“THE DEAD PRAISE NOT THE LORD.”
— Psalm 115:17
“HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
— Psalm 146:4
These passages deserve to be taken seriously before we conclude that human consciousness naturally continues after death.
QUICK FACT 9 — JOB EXPECTED TO DIE, WAIT, AND THEN BE CALLED BY GOD
The book of Job gives us another remarkable description.
Job asks:
“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?”
— Job 14:10, KJV
Then Job says:
“So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”
— Job 14:12, KJV
Notice again the familiar biblical language:
DEATH.
SLEEP.
AWAKENING.
RESURRECTION.
Job continues:
“O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave... that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!”
— Job 14:13, KJV
Then comes this extraordinary statement:
“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee...”
— Job 14:14–15, KJV
Look carefully at the sequence:
JOB DIES.
↓
JOB WAITS.
↓
A SET TIME ARRIVES.
↓
GOD CALLS.
↓
JOB ANSWERS.
↓
JOB LIVES AGAIN.
Job does not describe himself dying and immediately continuing conscious life somewhere else.
His hope is that after death:
GOD WILL REMEMBER HIM.
GOD WILL CALL HIM.
AND HE WILL ANSWER.
This is RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 10 — JESUS SAID THE DEAD ARE IN THEIR GRAVES WHEN HE CALLS THEM
Now compare Job's words with something Jesus said centuries later.
Job said:
“THOU SHALT CALL, AND I WILL ANSWER THEE.”
— Job 14:15
Jesus said:
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth...”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
This is remarkable.
WHERE DOES JESUS DESCRIBE THE DEAD AS BEING?
“IN THE GRAVES.”
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE APPOINTED TIME?
THEY HEAR HIS VOICE.
AND THEN:
THEY “COME FORTH.”
Compare the pattern:
DANIEL:
THE DEAD SLEEP IN THE DUST → THEY AWAKE.
JOB:
THE DEAD WAIT → GOD CALLS → THEY ANSWER.
JESUS:
THE DEAD ARE IN THE GRAVES → THEY HEAR HIS VOICE → THEY COME FORTH.
LAZARUS:
HE DIES → JESUS CALLS → HE COMES OUT OF THE TOMB.
Again and again, Scripture directs our attention toward:
DEATH
↓
WAITING
↓
GOD'S CALL
↓
RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT — JESUS DESCRIBES TWO DIFFERENT OUTCOMES
There is another very important part of John 5:28–29.
Jesus does not merely say that the dead will come out of their graves.
He continues:
“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.”
— John 5:29, KJV
Here Jesus describes TWO outcomes:
THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE
and
THE RESURRECTION OF JUDGMENT.
This is extremely important for our investigation.
Jesus places BOTH groups within the context of resurrection.
The righteous require resurrection.
And those facing judgment also require resurrection.
This raises another major question:
If the unsaved dead are already consciously alive and being punished in a fiery Hades, why must they later be RAISED FROM THE DEAD in order to face judgment?
We will examine that question in detail later in this series.
PART 2 CONCLUSION
Let us put the evidence from Parts 1 and 2 together.
Daniel says:
THE DEAD SLEEP IN THE DUST.
Jesus says:
LAZARUS' DEATH IS SLEEP.
Ecclesiastes says:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
David says:
“IN DEATH THERE IS NO REMEMBRANCE.”
Psalm 115 says:
“THE DEAD PRAISE NOT THE LORD.”
The same Psalm says they go:
“DOWN INTO SILENCE.”
Psalm 146 says:
“HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
Job expects to:
DIE → WAIT → BE CALLED BY GOD.
And Jesus says:
“ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE,
AND SHALL COME FORTH.”
The biblical pattern is difficult to miss.
THE GREAT QUESTION
If the saved dead are already consciously alive in heaven...
WHY MUST THEY BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD?
If the unsaved dead are already consciously alive in Hades...
WHY MUST THEY ALSO BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD?
If consciousness continues uninterrupted at death...
WHY DOES SCRIPTURE SAY:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING”?
Why does it say:
“HIS THOUGHTS PERISH”?
Why does it say:
“THE DEAD PRAISE NOT THE LORD”?
And why does the Bible repeatedly call death:
SLEEP?
THE ANSWER POINTS US TOWARD THE GREAT CHRISTIAN HOPE:
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
COMING NEXT:
PART 3 — WHEN WILL THE DEAD LIVE AGAIN?
THE RETURN OF JESUS, THE RESURRECTION AND IMMORTALITY
In Part 3 we will examine one of the strongest sections of evidence in the entire study.
Jesus repeatedly promised:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
— John 6:40, 44, 54
Paul tells Christians not to be ignorant concerning:
“THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13
Then Paul tells us exactly WHEN they rise:
“THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN...”
AND:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
We will also examine Paul's remarkable statement:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53
And ask:
IF EVERY HUMAN ALREADY POSSESSES AN IMMORTAL SOUL THAT CANNOT DIE, WHY MUST THE MORTAL LATER “PUT ON IMMORTALITY”?
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth.”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE EVERY VERSE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
AND FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
Part 3 of the Quick Facts study “Are the Dead Alive or Dead?” examines when the Bible says dead believers will live again. Key passages include John 6:39–54, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, 1 Corinthians 15:20–23 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–54, showing the biblical connection between the return of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead and receiving immortality.
PART 3 — WHEN WILL THE DEAD LIVE AGAIN?
When does the Bible say dead Christians will live again?
Jesus repeatedly promised, “I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:39–54). Paul likewise describes dead Christians as “asleep” and says that when the Lord descends from heaven, “the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–17).
Paul then reveals another remarkable truth: at the resurrection, “this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53).
This raises an important question: if every human being already possesses an immortal soul that remains consciously alive after death, why does Scripture describe humans as mortal and say that immortality must later be “put on”?
Search the Scriptures. Compare the evidence. Decide for yourself what the Bible really teaches.
PART 3 — WHEN WILL THE DEAD LIVE AGAIN?
THE RETURN OF JESUS AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
In Parts 1 and 2 we discovered that the Bible repeatedly describes the dead as asleep and awaiting resurrection.
But this brings us to another crucial question:
WHEN WILL THE DEAD LIVE AGAIN?
If Christians immediately become consciously alive in heaven when they die, we might expect this to be the great hope repeatedly emphasized by Jesus and His apostles.
But what do we actually find?
Again and again, the New Testament directs our attention toward:
THE LAST DAY.
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
THE SOUNDING OF THE TRUMPET.
AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
Let us examine the evidence.
QUICK FACT 11 — JESUS SAID HE WOULD RAISE BELIEVERS “AT THE LAST DAY”
Jesus repeatedly told His followers when He would raise them.
“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 6:39, KJV
Jesus continues:
“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 6:40, KJV
Again:
“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 6:44, KJV
And again:
“Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life;
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
— John 6:54, KJV
FOUR TIMES in John chapter 6 Jesus directs our attention toward resurrection.
And repeatedly He tells us WHEN:
“AT THE LAST DAY.”
This is extremely important.
Jesus does not merely promise His followers life.
He repeatedly promises:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
This raises a serious question:
If dead believers are already consciously alive with Jesus in heaven, why does Jesus repeatedly emphasize their future resurrection at the last day?
QUICK FACT 12 — PAUL CALLED DEAD CHRISTIANS “ASLEEP”
Now consider Paul's teaching.
Paul writes:
“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.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, KJV
Who are those who are “asleep”?
Paul is speaking about Christians who have died.
Once again we encounter exactly the same biblical language we discovered earlier:
DEATH = SLEEP.
Daniel described the dead as sleeping in the dust.
Jesus described Lazarus' death as sleep.
And now Paul describes dead Christians as:
“THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP.”
But Paul is about to tell us something even more important.
He tells us WHEN these sleeping Christians will rise.
QUICK FACT 13 — “THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST”
Paul continues:
“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.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
Notice the sequence carefully:
JESUS DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THE TRUMPET OF GOD SOUNDS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
Paul calls these believers:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST.”
And what must happen to them?
THEY MUST RISE.
WHEN?
WHEN THE LORD DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
This agrees beautifully with Jesus' promise:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
Jesus places resurrection at the last day.
Paul places the resurrection of dead Christians at the return of Jesus.
The two teachings fit naturally together.
QUICK FACT 14 — THE LIVING DO NOT GO BEFORE THE DEAD
Paul makes another important statement:
“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.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:15, KJV
The older English word “prevent” here means to precede or go before.
Paul then explains:
“The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
And afterward:
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, KJV
Notice:
“TOGETHER WITH THEM.”
The dead believers are raised.
The living believers are gathered together with them.
And together they meet the Lord.
The emphasis is therefore upon:
THE RETURN OF CHRIST.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
AND THE REUNION OF CHRIST'S PEOPLE.
QUICK FACT 15 — PAUL'S COMFORT WAS THE RESURRECTION
Why did Paul write these words?
Christians were grieving over fellow believers who had died.
What comfort did Paul give them?
He could have simply said:
“Do not grieve. Your loved ones are already consciously alive with Jesus in heaven.”
But that is not the comfort Paul gives in this passage.
Instead Paul points them toward a FUTURE EVENT:
THE LORD WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.
THE TRUMPET WILL SOUND.
THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE.
THE LIVING WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER WITH THEM.
AND THEY WILL MEET THE LORD.
Paul then concludes:
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:18, KJV
What were the comforting words?
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
AND THE REUNION OF GOD'S PEOPLE.
PART 3 CONCLUSION
Let us put the evidence together.
Jesus repeatedly promised:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
Paul describes dead Christians as:
“ASLEEP.”
Paul then calls them:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST.”
And tells us:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
WHEN?
When:
“THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.”
Then the living believers will be:
“CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM.”
The biblical sequence is remarkably straightforward:
A CHRISTIAN DIES
↓
DEATH IS DESCRIBED AS SLEEP
↓
JESUS RETURNS
↓
THE TRUMPET SOUNDS
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE
↓
THE LIVING ARE GATHERED WITH THEM
↓
TOGETHER THEY MEET THE LORD.
THE GREAT QUESTION
If dead Christians are already consciously alive with Jesus in heaven...
WHY DOES PAUL CALL THEM:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST”?
Why must:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST”
RISE?
And why does Jesus repeatedly promise:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY”?
But there is another extraordinary piece of evidence still to examine.
Paul tells us not only WHEN the dead rise.
He also tells us WHEN mortal believers receive IMMORTALITY.
COMING NEXT:
PART 4 — WHEN DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE IMMORTALITY?
THE LAST TRUMPET, THE RESURRECTION AND VICTORY OVER DEATH
We will examine:
“THEY THAT ARE CHRIST'S AT HIS COMING.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:23
“THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:52
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53
And:
“THEN shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:54
This raises one of the most important questions in this entire study:
IF EVERY HUMAN BEING ALREADY POSSESSES AN IMMORTAL SOUL THAT CANNOT DIE, WHY DOES PAUL SAY THAT THE MORTAL MUST LATER “PUT ON IMMORTALITY”?
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout...
and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE EVIDENCE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
AND FOLLOW THE TRUTH WHEREVER IT LEADS.
Part 4 of the “Are the Dead Alive or Dead?” Bible study examines when believers receive immortality. Paul teaches that those belonging to Christ are made alive at His coming, the dead are raised at the last trumpet, and “this mortal must put on immortality.” The study asks whether these passages support the belief that humans already possess an inherently immortal soul or instead point toward immortality being received through resurrection.
PART 4 — WHEN DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE IMMORTALITY?
Does every human being already possess an immortal soul, or does the Bible teach that immortality is something believers receive at the resurrection?
Paul says that those who belong to Christ are made alive “at his coming” (1 Corinthians 15:23). He then describes the last trumpet, when “the dead shall be raised incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 15:52).
Most importantly, Paul declares:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.” — 1 Corinthians 15:53
And only THEN does Paul say:
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.” — 1 Corinthians 15:54
This raises an important question: if human beings already possess an immortal soul that cannot die, why does Paul describe us as mortal and say that immortality must later be “put on”?
Search the Scriptures and examine the evidence for yourself.
PART 4 — WHEN DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE IMMORTALITY?
THE LAST TRUMPET, THE RESURRECTION AND VICTORY OVER DEATH
INTRODUCTION
In Part 3 we discovered when Paul says dead Christians will rise.
Paul describes deceased Christians as:
“THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13
He then says:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
And when does this happen?
When:
“THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.”
This agrees with Jesus' repeated promise:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
— John 6:40, 44, 54
But now we come to another extremely important question:
WHEN DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE IMMORTALITY?
Many Christians have been taught that every human being already possesses an immortal soul that cannot die.
But is that actually what Paul taught?
Let us examine 1 Corinthians 15 carefully.
QUICK FACT 16 — BELIEVERS ARE MADE ALIVE “AT HIS COMING”
Paul writes:
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22, KJV
But WHEN are those belonging to Christ made alive?
The very next verse tells us:
“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:23, KJV
Notice those words:
“AT HIS COMING.”
Paul does not place this event at the moment each Christian dies.
He directs our attention toward:
CHRIST'S COMING.
This agrees with 1 Thessalonians 4:
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
And it agrees with Jesus:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
Again and again, the biblical hope points toward the future resurrection.
QUICK FACT 17 — THE DEAD ARE RAISED WHEN THE LAST TRUMPET SOUNDS
Paul later explains what happens at the resurrection:
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
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.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, KJV
Notice the sequence:
SOME BELIEVERS ARE ASLEEP IN DEATH.
↓
THE LAST TRUMPET SOUNDS.
↓
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
↓
THE DEAD ARE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE.
↓
THE LIVING BELIEVERS ARE CHANGED.
Compare this with 1 Thessalonians 4.
There Paul also describes:
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
THE TRUMPET OF GOD.
AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
The two passages fit together remarkably well.
QUICK FACT 18 — “THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY”
Now we reach one of the most important statements in this entire study.
Paul writes:
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
Please notice exactly what Paul says:
“THIS MORTAL.”
MORTAL means subject to death.
Paul does not say:
“This immortal soul must continue living.”
He says:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
That distinction is extremely important.
If every human being naturally possesses an immortal soul which can never die, we must ask:
WHY MUST THE MORTAL “PUT ON IMMORTALITY”?
And WHEN does Paul place this transformation?
At the resurrection.
When:
THE TRUMPET SOUNDS.
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
AND GOD'S PEOPLE ARE CHANGED.
According to Paul's argument here, immortality is something the mortal must RECEIVE.
QUICK FACT 19 — WHEN IS DEATH “SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY”?
Paul continues:
“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.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:54, KJV
There is one word here we should not overlook:
“THEN.”
WHEN is death swallowed up in victory?
Paul tells us.
WHEN:
THE DEAD HAVE BEEN RAISED.
THE CORRUPTIBLE HAS PUT ON INCORRUPTION.
AND THE MORTAL HAS PUT ON IMMORTALITY.
THEN:
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
This is why resurrection is so central to the Christian Gospel.
Death really is an enemy.
Paul actually calls death:
“THE LAST ENEMY.”
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:26, KJV
If death simply means that the real person continues living consciously somewhere else, we should ask why Paul treats the DESTRUCTION OF DEATH as such an extraordinary future victory.
Paul's great hope is:
THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED.
THE MORTAL WILL RECEIVE IMMORTALITY.
AND DEATH WILL FINALLY BE DEFEATED.
QUICK FACT 20 — GOD ALONE POSSESSES IMMORTALITY INHERENTLY
Now consider Paul's description of God:
“Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto...”
— 1 Timothy 6:16, KJV
Paul describes God as the One:
“WHO ONLY HATH IMMORTALITY.”
God does not need to RECEIVE immortality.
God is not mortal.
God cannot be conquered by death.
Human beings, however, are repeatedly described as mortal.
That is why Paul says:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
And this is why eternal life is presented as God's GIFT.
Paul writes:
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23, KJV
Notice the contrast:
THE WAGES OF SIN:
DEATH.
THE GIFT OF GOD:
ETERNAL LIFE.
Eternal life is not described here as the unavoidable natural possession of every human being.
It is:
“THE GIFT OF GOD.”
QUICK FACT — IMMORTALITY IS BROUGHT TO LIGHT THROUGH THE GOSPEL
Paul also writes that God's purpose and grace:
“...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.”
— 2 Timothy 1:10, KJV
Notice again the connection:
LIFE.
IMMORTALITY.
THE GOSPEL.
Jesus is the one through whom God offers us the hope of everlasting life.
The biblical message is not that human beings possess indestructible life independently of God.
Our hope of immortality depends entirely upon GOD.
PART 4 CONCLUSION
Let us put Paul's teaching together.
Paul says:
“IN ADAM ALL DIE.”
↓
Those belonging to Christ are made alive:
“AT HIS COMING.”
↓
“THE LAST TRUMP” SOUNDS.
↓
“THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE.”
↓
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
↓
And:
“THEN”
↓
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
This raises one of the biggest questions in this entire investigation:
IF EVERY HUMAN BEING ALREADY POSSESSES AN IMMORTAL SOUL THAT CANNOT DIE...
WHY DOES PAUL CALL HUMAN BEINGS:
“MORTAL”?
WHY MUST THE MORTAL:
“PUT ON IMMORTALITY”?
WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN AT THE RESURRECTION?
WHY DOES PAUL CALL ETERNAL LIFE:
“THE GIFT OF GOD”?
AND WHY IS DEATH ONLY:
“SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY”
WHEN THE DEAD ARE RAISED?
THE BIBLICAL HOPE IS RESURRECTION
The biblical message is far more powerful than saying:
YOU NEVER REALLY DIE.
The biblical message is:
DEATH IS REAL.
DEATH IS AN ENEMY.
BUT GOD CAN DEFEAT DEATH.
Jesus truly died.
God raised Jesus from the dead.
And because God raised Jesus, those who belong to Christ have the hope that they too will be raised.
Paul writes:
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies...”
— Romans 8:11, KJV
Our hope is not in possessing immortality independently of God.
OUR HOPE IS IN GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD.
COMING NEXT:
PART 5 — WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNSAVED DEAD?
THE TWO RESURRECTIONS, JUDGMENT DAY AND THE SECOND DEATH
Now we must examine the other side of the question.
What happens to those who die WITHOUT receiving eternal life?
Are they consciously alive and suffering in Hades while awaiting judgment?
Or do they remain dead until God raises them for judgment?
Jesus spoke of:
“THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE”
and:
“THE RESURRECTION OF DAMNATION.”
— John 5:29
Revelation makes another remarkable statement:
“THE REST OF THE DEAD LIVED NOT AGAIN UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEARS WERE FINISHED.”
— Revelation 20:5
Then comes:
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.
THE BOOKS ARE OPENED.
THE DEAD ARE JUDGED.
AND FINALLY:
THE SECOND DEATH.
This raises another enormous question:
IF THE UNSAVED DEAD HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONSCIOUSLY PUNISHED FOR HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF YEARS...
WHY DOES THE BIBLE PLACE THEIR JUDGMENT IN THE FUTURE?
And why does Revelation actually call their final punishment:
“THE SECOND DEATH”?
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE EVIDENCE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
AND FOLLOW THE TRUTH WHEREVER IT LEADS.
Part 5 of the “Are the Dead Alive or Dead?” Bible study examines what Scripture says happens to the unsaved dead. It compares Daniel 12:2, John 5:28–29 and Revelation 20:5–15, examining the resurrection to judgment, the Great White Throne, Hades giving up the dead, the books being opened and the final punishment called “the second death.”
PART 5 — WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNSAVED DEAD?
What does the Bible actually say happens to those who die without receiving eternal life?
Jesus spoke of a future “resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28–29), while Revelation says, “the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:5).
At the Great White Throne, the dead are judged, Death and Hades give up the dead within them, and even Death and Hades are finally cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–14).
The final punishment is then described as:
“THE SECOND DEATH.”
This raises an important question: if the unsaved dead are already consciously alive and being punished in Hades, why does Scripture describe them as dead, place their resurrection and judgment in the future, and call their final punishment the second death?
Search the Scriptures. Compare the evidence. Test every tradition.
PART 5 — WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNSAVED DEAD?
THE RESURRECTION TO JUDGMENT, THE GREAT WHITE THRONE AND THE SECOND DEATH
INTRODUCTION
So far in this series we have concentrated mainly on those who belong to Christ.
We have seen that the Bible repeatedly describes the dead as asleep.
Jesus promised:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
— John 6:40, KJV
Paul said:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
And Paul explained that at the resurrection:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
But what about those who die without receiving eternal life?
Many Christians have been taught that the unsaved immediately continue consciously alive in a place of punishment commonly called Hades, where they remain until the final judgment.
But this raises an important question:
IF THEY ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE AND BEING PUNISHED, WHY MUST THEY LATER BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD AND JUDGED?
Let us examine what Scripture actually says.
QUICK FACT 21 — JESUS TAUGHT A FUTURE RESURRECTION TO JUDGMENT
Jesus said:
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
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.”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
The Greek word translated “damnation” in the KJV is κρίσις — krisis — meaning judgment.
Therefore many modern translations render this:
“THE RESURRECTION OF JUDGMENT.”
Notice something extremely important.
Jesus describes BOTH groups as coming forth from the graves.
There is:
THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE.
And:
THE RESURRECTION OF JUDGMENT.
Those facing judgment must therefore be raised.
Their judgment is presented as a future event.
QUICK FACT 22 — DANIEL ALSO DESCRIBED TWO OUTCOMES AT THE RESURRECTION
Hundreds of years before Jesus, Daniel wrote:
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
— Daniel 12:2, KJV
Notice again:
THEY ARE SLEEPING.
WHERE?
“IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH.”
Then:
THEY “SHALL AWAKE.”
Some awake to:
EVERLASTING LIFE.
Others awake to:
SHAME AND CONTEMPT.
Compare Daniel with Jesus.
DANIEL:
SLEEP IN THE DUST → AWAKE → TWO OUTCOMES.
JESUS:
IN THE GRAVES → COME FORTH → TWO OUTCOMES.
The similarity is striking.
QUICK FACT 23 — REVELATION SAYS “THE REST OF THE DEAD” DO NOT LIVE AGAIN UNTIL LATER
Revelation chapter 20 contains an extraordinary statement:
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”
— Revelation 20:5, KJV
Please notice the exact wording:
“THE REST OF THE DEAD.”
They are called:
DEAD.
Then Scripture says:
“LIVED NOT AGAIN UNTIL...”
Those words are extremely important.
If they “lived not again,” then the passage itself distinguishes their condition as dead from their later return to life.
The text does not say:
“The rest of the dead were actually alive somewhere else.”
It says:
“THE REST OF THE DEAD LIVED NOT AGAIN UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEARS WERE FINISHED.”
QUICK FACT 24 — THE DEAD STAND BEFORE GOD FOR JUDGMENT
Revelation then describes the great judgment:
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it...”
— Revelation 20:11, KJV
John continues:
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;
and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the book of life:
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
— Revelation 20:12, KJV
Notice the sequence:
THE DEAD.
↓
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.
↓
THE BOOKS ARE OPENED.
↓
THE DEAD ARE JUDGED.
Judgment is not presented here merely as something that happened automatically when each person died.
It is presented as a great future judgment scene.
QUICK FACT 25 — DEATH AND HADES GIVE UP THE DEAD
The next verse is particularly important for the claim that the dead are consciously living in Hades.
Revelation says:
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it;
and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:
and they were judged every man according to their works.”
— Revelation 20:13, KJV
The word translated “hell” here in the KJV is:
HADES.
Greek:
ᾅδης — hadēs.
Notice what Hades does:
IT “DELIVERED UP THE DEAD.”
The people associated with Hades are still described as:
“THE DEAD.”
And after they are delivered up:
“THEY WERE JUDGED.”
This is important because Hades itself is not the final punishment.
We know this from the very next verse.
QUICK FACT 26 — HADES ITSELF IS DESTROYED
Revelation continues:
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.”
— Revelation 20:14, KJV
Again, “hell” here translates:
HADES.
So:
DEATH
AND
HADES
are both thrown into the lake of fire.
This means Hades cannot itself be identical with the final lake of fire.
HADES IS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.
Then Scripture explains:
“THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH.”
Notice the terminology.
Not:
ETERNAL HUMAN LIFE IN DEATH.
But:
“THE SECOND DEATH.”
QUICK FACT 27 — THE FINAL PENALTY IS CALLED “THE SECOND DEATH”
Revelation repeats this terminology:
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers... shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
which is the second death.”
— Revelation 21:8, KJV
Whatever conclusions we eventually reach about all the imagery surrounding final judgment, we should not overlook the inspired description itself:
“THE SECOND DEATH.”
Compare this with Paul:
“For the wages of sin is DEATH;
but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23, KJV
Notice the contrast:
SIN → DEATH.
GOD'S GIFT → ETERNAL LIFE.
This distinction deserves very careful attention.
PART 5 CONCLUSION
Let us put these passages together.
Daniel says:
THE DEAD SLEEP IN THE DUST.
↓
THEY AWAKE.
↓
THERE ARE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES.
Jesus says:
THOSE IN THE GRAVES HEAR HIS VOICE.
↓
THEY COME FORTH.
↓
SOME RECEIVE LIFE.
↓
OTHERS FACE JUDGMENT.
Revelation says:
“THE REST OF THE DEAD LIVED NOT AGAIN UNTIL...”
↓
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE APPEARS.
↓
THE BOOKS ARE OPENED.
↓
THE DEAD ARE JUDGED.
↓
DEATH AND HADES GIVE UP THE DEAD.
↓
DEATH AND HADES ARE DESTROYED.
↓
THE FINAL PENALTY IS CALLED:
“THE SECOND DEATH.”
THIS RAISES AN ENORMOUS QUESTION
If an unsaved person dies and immediately begins consciously suffering punishment...
has that person been punished BEFORE the judgment?
If the final judgment occurs at the Great White Throne...
why would punishment have already been taking place for centuries before the books are opened?
And if Hades is itself eventually cast into the lake of fire...
HOW CAN HADES AND THE LAKE OF FIRE BE EXACTLY THE SAME THING?
THE BIBLICAL SEQUENCE DESERVES TO BE HEARD
DEATH.
RESURRECTION.
JUDGMENT.
SECOND DEATH.
We should allow Scripture itself to define these terms rather than automatically reading later theological traditions into them.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DIFFICULT VERSES?
At this point many readers will immediately be thinking:
WHAT ABOUT THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS?
WHAT ABOUT THE THIEF ON THE CROSS:
“TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”?
WHAT ABOUT:
“ABSENT FROM THE BODY... PRESENT WITH THE LORD”?
WHAT ABOUT PAUL WANTING:
“TO DEPART, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”?
WHAT ABOUT:
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT”?
WHAT ABOUT THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR IN REVELATION?
These passages cannot simply be ignored.
And we will not ignore them.
We will examine them carefully, one by one, in their biblical context.
COMING NEXT:
PART 6 — WHAT ABOUT THE THIEF ON THE CROSS?
“TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”
Did Jesus promise the thief that they would both consciously enter Paradise THAT VERY DAY?
Where was Jesus between His death and resurrection?
What did Jesus say after His resurrection about ascending to His Father?
And because the earliest Greek manuscripts did not contain modern punctuation, could the placement of the comma affect how Luke 23:43 is understood?
We will examine the evidence carefully.
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth.”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE EVIDENCE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
AND FOLLOW THE TRUTH WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 6 — WHAT ABOUT THE THIEF ON THE CROSS?
“TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE” — LUKE 23:43
INTRODUCTION
So far, we have examined the Bible's repeated teaching concerning death and resurrection.
The dead are described as:
ASLEEP.
“The dead know not any thing.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5
At death:
“His thoughts perish.”
— Psalm 146:4
Jesus said those:
“IN THE GRAVES”
will one day hear His voice and:
“COME FORTH.”
— John 5:28–29
Jesus repeatedly promised:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
— John 6:40, 44, 54
And Paul said:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST”
when Jesus returns.
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
But what about the thief on the cross?
Jesus said:
“Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
— Luke 23:43, KJV
At first sight, this appears to say that Jesus and the thief would both be consciously alive in Paradise THAT VERY DAY.
But is that the only possible understanding?
And does that interpretation agree with what Jesus Himself said after His resurrection?
Let us investigate.
QUICK FACT 28 — WHAT DID THE THIEF ACTUALLY ASK JESUS?
The criminal said:
“Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
— Luke 23:42, KJV
Notice carefully what he asked.
He did not say:
“Lord, take my immortal soul to heaven when I die.”
He asked:
“REMEMBER ME WHEN THOU COMEST INTO THY KINGDOM.”
His hope was connected with Christ's Kingdom.
Jesus responded with a magnificent promise:
“Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
— Luke 23:43
But now we need to examine the punctuation.
QUICK FACT 29 — THE ORIGINAL GREEK DID NOT CONTAIN OUR MODERN COMMA
Modern English translations normally punctuate Jesus' words like this:
“Truly I say to you, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
That punctuation places “today” with:
“YOU WILL BE WITH ME.”
But the earliest Greek manuscripts did not contain the modern comma used in our English Bibles.
Therefore, the punctuation was supplied by later editors.
The Greek words themselves can be represented:
AMĒN SOI LEGŌ SĒMERON MET' EMOU ESĒ EN TŌ PARADEISŌ
The question is:
WHAT DOES “TODAY” MODIFY?
Compare:
“Truly I say to you, TODAY YOU will be with me in Paradise.”
with:
“Truly I say to you TODAY, you WILL be with me in Paradise.”
The words remain the same.
The placement of the comma changes the timing.
Therefore, THE COMMA ITSELF CANNOT SETTLE THE QUESTION.
We must examine the rest of Scripture.
QUICK FACT 30 — JESUS REALLY DIED
This fact must never be overlooked.
Jesus did not merely appear to die.
Paul wrote:
“Christ DIED for our sins according to the scriptures.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:3, KJV
Jesus Himself later declared:
“I am he that liveth, and WAS DEAD; and, behold, I am alive for evermore...”
— Revelation 1:18, KJV
Notice:
“I WAS DEAD.”
The Gospel message is:
JESUS DIED.
↓
JESUS WAS BURIED.
↓
GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.
↓
JESUS LIVED AGAIN.
Peter proclaimed:
“This Jesus hath God raised up...”
— Acts 2:32, KJV
The resurrection was God's victory over Jesus' death.
QUICK FACT 31 — AFTER HIS RESURRECTION JESUS SAID HE HAD “NOT YET ASCENDED” TO HIS FATHER
This is one of the most important passages to compare with Luke 23:43.
Jesus died on the cross.
He was buried.
God raised Him from the dead.
Then Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
Jesus said:
“Touch me not; for I AM NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER:
but go to my brethren, and say unto them,
I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
— John 20:17, KJV
Notice carefully:
“I AM NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER.”
This was AFTER Jesus had died.
And AFTER He had been resurrected.
Therefore we have an obvious question:
If Luke 23:43 means that Jesus took the thief to Paradise in heaven on the very day of the crucifixion, how should that interpretation be reconciled with Jesus later saying:
“I AM NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER”?
This deserves serious consideration.
QUICK FACT 32 — JESUS WAS NOT ABANDONED TO HADES BECAUSE GOD RAISED HIM
Peter explains Christ's death and resurrection in Acts chapter 2.
Quoting Psalm 16, Peter says:
“Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
— Acts 2:27, KJV
The word translated “hell” here is:
HADES.
Peter then explains:
“He seeing this before spake of the RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”
— Acts 2:31, KJV
The emphasis is again:
RESURRECTION.
Jesus was not abandoned to Hades — the realm of the dead.
God raised Him.
QUICK FACT 33 — “I SAY TO YOU TODAY” IS A POSSIBLE READING
The alternative punctuation would read:
“Verily I say unto thee TODAY, thou shalt be with me in paradise.”
In other words:
TODAY — while I hang here dying beside you...
TODAY — while others reject and mock Me...
TODAY — when My Kingdom appears impossible...
I GIVE YOU THIS PROMISE:
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.
This reading is grammatically possible.
However, we must be fair with the evidence:
THE GREEK GRAMMAR BY ITSELF DOES NOT PROVE WHERE THE COMMA SHOULD GO.
Therefore, we should not claim that the missing original punctuation automatically proves one interpretation.
Instead, we compare the passage with the wider teaching of Scripture.
QUICK FACT 34 — THE THIEF'S OWN WORDS POINT TOWARD THE FUTURE KINGDOM
Remember again what the thief requested:
“Lord, remember me WHEN THOU COMEST INTO THY KINGDOM.”
— Luke 23:42
His request concerned a future Kingdom.
Jesus assured him that his request would be granted.
The thief would not be forgotten.
Jesus promised:
“THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
The promise was certain.
But a promise made TODAY does not necessarily require fulfillment TODAY.
QUICK FACT 35 — THE THIEF'S HOPE ALSO DEPENDS UPON RESURRECTION
The thief died.
Therefore the great biblical promise of resurrection applies to his hope as well.
Jesus said:
“The hour is coming, in the which ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth...”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
Jesus also repeatedly promised:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
— John 6:40
Therefore the thief's hope need not contradict the resurrection passages we have already examined.
Jesus made him an extraordinary promise:
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.
The question is not whether Jesus' promise will be fulfilled.
IT WILL.
The question is:
WHEN?
PART 6 CONCLUSION
Let us put the evidence together.
THE THIEF ASKED:
“REMEMBER ME WHEN THOU COMEST INTO THY KINGDOM.”
↓
JESUS PROMISED HIM PARADISE.
↓
THE MODERN COMMA IN LUKE 23:43 WAS NOT PART OF LUKE'S ORIGINAL PUNCTUATION.
↓
THEREFORE THE COMMA ALONE CANNOT DETERMINE THE TIMING.
↓
JESUS REALLY DIED.
↓
GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.
↓
AFTER HIS RESURRECTION JESUS SAID:
“I AM NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER.”
↓
JESUS TAUGHT THAT THE DEAD WOULD COME FORTH FROM THEIR GRAVES.
↓
AND JESUS REPEATEDLY PROMISED:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
Therefore, Luke 23:43 can reasonably be understood as:
“VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE TODAY,
THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
JESUS MADE THE PROMISE THAT DAY.
THE PROMISE DID NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE FULFILLED THAT DAY.
THIS IS IMPORTANT
We should never allow the placement of a single punctuation mark supplied by later editors to overturn numerous clear passages concerning:
DEATH.
SLEEP.
THE GRAVE.
THE RETURN OF CHRIST.
AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
Instead:
SCRIPTURE MUST BE COMPARED WITH SCRIPTURE.
BUT NOW COMES AN EVEN MORE CHALLENGING PASSAGE.
COMING NEXT:
PART 7 — THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
DOES LUKE 16:19–31 PROVE THAT THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HADES?
Jesus described:
A RICH MAN WHO DIED.
LAZARUS WHO DIED.
ABRAHAM'S BOSOM.
HADES.
TORMENT.
A GREAT GULF.
AND A CONVERSATION AFTER DEATH.
At first sight, this appears to be powerful evidence for conscious existence after death.
But what was Jesus actually teaching?
Was Jesus giving His disciples a literal geographical description of the afterlife?
Or was He using a powerful story of reversal and judgment to expose unbelief and the refusal to listen to God's Word?
The ending may give us the key:
“If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
— Luke 16:31, KJV
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
AND FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
Part 7 of the “Are the Dead Alive or Dead?” Bible study examines the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31. This study investigates Abraham’s bosom, Hades, the rich man’s torment, the great gulf, Moses and the Prophets, and Jesus’ concluding warning that some would not believe even if one rose from the dead. The passage is compared with the Bible’s wider teaching about death, resurrection and judgment.
PART 7 — THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
DOES LUKE 16:19–31 PROVE THAT THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HADES?
The Rich Man and Lazarus is one of the most frequently quoted passages in support of conscious existence immediately after death.
Jesus describes a rich man in Hades, Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom, torment, a great gulf and a conversation after death.
But was Jesus giving us a literal description of the geography of the afterlife, or was He using powerful imagery to teach about judgment, reversal, repentance and the danger of refusing to hear God’s Word?
The ending of the story may provide the key:
“If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. — Luke 16:31, KJV
Part 7 compares this difficult passage with the Bible’s wider teaching concerning death, resurrection and judgment.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES. COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE. TEST EVERY TRADITION.
PART 7 — THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
PART ONE
DOES LUKE 16:19–31 PROVE THAT THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HADES?
INTRODUCTION
Throughout this study we have found repeated biblical statements concerning the dead:
“The dead know not any thing.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5, KJV
“The dead praise not the LORD.”
— Psalm 115:17, KJV
At death:
“His thoughts perish.”
— Psalm 146:4, KJV
Daniel describes the dead as those who:
“Sleep in the dust of the earth.”
— Daniel 12:2, KJV
Jesus said:
“All that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth.”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
Paul called dead Christians:
“Them which are asleep.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, KJV
And Paul said:
“The dead in Christ shall rise first”
when Jesus returns.
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
But then we come to Luke 16.
Jesus tells the story of:
A RICH MAN.
A POOR MAN CALLED LAZARUS.
THE DEATH OF BOTH MEN.
ABRAHAM'S BOSOM.
HADES.
TORMENT.
A GREAT GULF.
AND A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE RICH MAN AND ABRAHAM.
At first sight, this appears to present a very different picture from the many passages we have already examined.
So what should we do?
IGNORE LUKE 16?
Certainly not.
We must examine it carefully and compare Scripture with Scripture.
QUICK FACT 36 — JESUS HAD BEEN USING STORIES AND FIGURATIVE TEACHING
Luke 16 does not appear in isolation.
Immediately before the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus tells the story of the unjust steward:
“There was a certain rich man, which had a steward...”
— Luke 16:1, KJV
Then in Luke 16:19 Jesus begins:
“There was a certain rich man...”
Jesus frequently taught spiritual truths through stories, comparisons and parables.
Therefore, before assuming that every detail in Luke 16 is intended to provide a literal description of the condition and location of the dead, we should first ask:
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE JESUS IS TEACHING?
What lesson was Jesus giving His listeners?
And how does that lesson fit with everything else Scripture teaches concerning death, resurrection and judgment?
QUICK FACT 37 — THE STORY BEGINS WITH AN EXTREME REVERSAL
Jesus describes the rich man:
“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day.”
— Luke 16:19, KJV
Then Lazarus:
“And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table...”
— Luke 16:20–21, KJV
The contrast could hardly be stronger.
THE RICH MAN:
WEALTHY.
WELL FED.
EXPENSIVELY DRESSED.
LIVING IN LUXURY.
LAZARUS:
POOR.
HUNGRY.
COVERED WITH SORES.
LYING OUTSIDE THE RICH MAN'S GATE.
Then both men die.
And suddenly their circumstances are completely reversed.
This reversal becomes one of the central themes of Jesus' story.
QUICK FACT 38 — LAZARUS IS CARRIED TO “ABRAHAM'S BOSOM”
Jesus says:
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom...”
— Luke 16:22, KJV
Notice something important.
Jesus does not actually say:
“Lazarus' immortal soul went to heaven.”
The expression He uses is:
“ABRAHAM'S BOSOM.”
The imagery represents a position of honour, closeness and comfort with Abraham.
Compare the imagery in John 13:23, where the beloved disciple is described as reclining close to Jesus during the meal.
Within Jesus' story, the contrast is unmistakable:
LAZARUS, WHO HAD SUFFERED AND BEEN NEGLECTED DURING HIS LIFE, IS NOW COMFORTED.
The rich man, who had lived in luxury while Lazarus suffered at his gate, experiences the opposite reversal.
QUICK FACT 39 — THE RICH MAN IS DESCRIBED IN HADES
Jesus continues:
“The rich man also died, and was buried;
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments...”
— Luke 16:22–23, KJV
The Greek word translated “hell” in the King James Version is:
HADES.
This distinction is extremely important.
Luke 16 does NOT use the Greek word GEHENNA here.
It uses:
HADES.
We have already encountered Hades elsewhere in this study.
Revelation says:
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.”
— Revelation 20:14, KJV
The word translated “hell” there is again:
HADES.
Notice what happens:
DEATH AND HADES
ARE CAST INTO
THE LAKE OF FIRE.
Therefore, within Revelation 20 itself, Hades and the lake of fire cannot simply be identical.
HADES IS EVENTUALLY CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.
And Revelation then calls the lake of fire:
“THE SECOND DEATH.”
This is why we must be very careful about automatically translating every occurrence of “hell” as though the original biblical words always mean exactly the same thing.
QUICK FACT 40 — IF EVERY DETAIL IS LITERAL, DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ARISE
Now let us consider what happens if every detail of the Rich Man and Lazarus is treated as a literal physical description of disembodied human beings after death.
The rich man:
HAS EYES.
HAS A TONGUE.
FEELS FLAME.
DESIRES WATER.
Lazarus apparently has:
A FINGER.
The rich man says:
“Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue...”
— Luke 16:24, KJV
But according to the common interpretation, the bodily resurrection has not yet occurred.
This raises some important questions.
If these are disembodied immortal souls, how does the rich man literally possess:
EYES?
A TONGUE?
And how does Lazarus literally possess:
A FINGER?
How could a tiny drop of physical water placed upon a physical tongue relieve torment in a spiritual realm?
These questions do not make Jesus' teaching meaningless.
They suggest something very different:
WE SHOULD BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS ABOUT TURNING EVERY DETAIL OF THE STORY INTO A LITERAL MAP OF THE AFTERLIFE.
Jesus frequently used vivid imagery to communicate powerful spiritual truths.
The important question is therefore:
WHAT TRUTH WAS JESUS TEACHING?
AND NOW THE STORY BECOMES EVEN MORE INTERESTING
The rich man can SEE Abraham.
Abraham can HEAR the rich man.
They SPEAK to one another.
Yet Jesus says there is:
“A GREAT GULF FIXED”
between them.
Why would Jesus include these extraordinary details?
And what happens when the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his five brothers?
The answer leads directly to:
MOSES AND THE PROPHETS.
REPENTANCE.
UNBELIEF.
AND SOMEONE RISING FROM THE DEAD.
CONTINUED IN PART 7 — PART TWO
Next we will examine:
QUICK FACT 41 — ABRAHAM AND THE RICH MAN SPEAK ACROSS THE GREAT GULF
QUICK FACT 42 — THE GREAT REVERSAL IS CENTRAL TO THE STORY
QUICK FACT 43 — THE KEY IS “MOSES AND THE PROPHETS”
QUICK FACT 44 — THE RICH MAN THINKS A MIRACLE WILL CONVINCE HIS BROTHERS
QUICK FACT 45 — “THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD”
QUICK FACT 46 — SHOULD ONE STORY OVERRIDE THE BIBLE'S MANY PLAIN STATEMENTS ABOUT DEATH?
And finally we will ask:
WHAT WAS JESUS REALLY TEACHING IN THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS?
Was His purpose to reveal that immortal souls consciously live in Hades?
Or was His central warning directed toward THE LIVING:
LISTEN TO GOD'S WORD.
REPENT WHILE YOU STILL HAVE LIFE.
DO NOT TRUST IN WEALTH.
AND DO NOT ASSUME THAT EVEN A MIRACLE WILL CONVINCE A HEART THAT REFUSES TO HEAR GOD.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
AND FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 7 — THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
DOES LUKE 16:19–31 PROVE THAT THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HADES?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we examined the opening of Jesus’ story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
We saw that:
THE RICH MAN LIVED IN LUXURY.
LAZARUS SUFFERED AT HIS GATE.
BOTH MEN DIED.
LAZARUS WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING IN “ABRAHAM’S BOSOM.”
THE RICH MAN WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING IN HADES.
We also saw that if every detail is interpreted as a literal physical description of disembodied immortal souls, difficult questions arise.
The rich man has eyes and a tongue.
Lazarus has a finger.
The rich man asks for physical water to cool his tongue.
This suggests that we should be cautious about treating every detail as a literal description of the geography and physical conditions of the afterlife.
Now let us continue.
QUICK FACT 41 — ABRAHAM AND THE RICH MAN SPEAK ACROSS THE GREAT GULF
Jesus says that the rich man:
“Seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
— Luke 16:23, KJV
The rich man calls:
“Father Abraham, have mercy on me...”
— Luke 16:24, KJV
Abraham hears him and answers:
“Son, remember...”
— Luke 16:25, KJV
They are therefore able to:
SEE EACH OTHER.
HEAR EACH OTHER.
AND SPEAK TO EACH OTHER.
Yet Abraham says:
“Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed...”
— Luke 16:26, KJV
If this is intended as a literal geographical description of the afterlife, an important question arises.
Are we supposed to believe that the saved can literally see, hear and communicate with people suffering on the other side?
Or is Jesus using vivid imagery to emphasize the irreversible difference between the two men’s outcomes?
This is another reason we should be careful about interpreting every detail literally.
QUICK FACT 42 — THE GREAT REVERSAL IS CENTRAL TO THE STORY
Abraham tells the rich man:
“Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things:
but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”
— Luke 16:25, KJV
This reversal is central to Jesus’ story.
During their lives:
THE RICH MAN HAD EVERYTHING.
LAZARUS HAD ALMOST NOTHING.
The rich man:
WORE PURPLE AND FINE LINEN.
ATE SUMPTUOUSLY EVERY DAY.
LIVED IN COMFORT.
Lazarus:
WAS POOR.
WAS HUNGRY.
WAS COVERED WITH SORES.
LAY AT THE RICH MAN’S GATE.
The rich man had the opportunity to show mercy to the suffering man immediately outside his home.
Yet Lazarus remained suffering at his gate.
Now their circumstances are reversed.
Jesus had already warned:
“Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.”
— Luke 6:24, KJV
And:
“Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.”
— Luke 6:20, KJV
The story therefore contains a powerful warning concerning:
WEALTH.
SELFISHNESS.
COMPASSION.
JUDGMENT.
AND THE GREAT REVERSAL GOD CAN BRING.
QUICK FACT 43 — THE KEY TO THE STORY IS “MOSES AND THE PROPHETS”
The rich man now thinks about his family.
He says:
“I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”
— Luke 16:27–28, KJV
What does Abraham answer?
“They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.”
— Luke 16:29, KJV
This statement is extremely important.
The focus now turns toward:
THE LIVING.
The rich man’s five brothers are still alive.
What do they need?
Abraham says:
“THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS.”
And what must they do?
“LET THEM HEAR THEM.”
In other words:
LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD.
BELIEVE GOD’S WORD.
RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD WHILE YOU ARE STILL ALIVE.
The story is therefore not merely concerned with what happens after death.
It contains an urgent warning about what people do BEFORE death.
QUICK FACT 44 — THE RICH MAN THINKS A MIRACLE WILL MAKE HIS BROTHERS REPENT
The rich man disagrees with Abraham.
He says:
“Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.”
— Luke 16:30, KJV
Notice that important word:
“REPENT.”
This helps us understand the purpose of Jesus’ story.
The issue is not simply:
WHERE DO PEOPLE GO WHEN THEY DIE?
The issue is also:
WILL PEOPLE REPENT WHILE THEY ARE STILL ALIVE?
The rich man believes that his brothers need a supernatural sign.
He believes:
IF SOMEONE CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD, THEY WOULD REPENT.
Surely that would convince them.
Surely nobody could reject such overwhelming evidence.
But Jesus is about to end the story with an extraordinary statement.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 7 — PART THREE
In Part Three we will examine Jesus’ final words:
“NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.”
— Luke 16:31, KJV
We will then compare this with something remarkable:
A MAN NAMED LAZARUS REALLY DID RISE FROM THE DEAD.
Did everyone believe?
No.
Some actually plotted to kill him.
We will also bring together the evidence from:
ECCLESIASTES.
PSALMS.
DANIEL.
JOHN.
1 THESSALONIANS.
1 CORINTHIANS.
AND REVELATION.
Then we can answer the central question:
DOES THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS REALLY PROVE THAT THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HADES?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES. COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE. TEST EVERY TRADITION.
AND FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 7 — THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
DOES LUKE 16:19–31 PROVE THAT THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HADES?
PART THREE
PART 8 — “ABSENT FROM THE BODY, PRESENT WITH THE LORD”
DOES 2 CORINTHIANS 5:8 TEACH THAT CHRISTIANS GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN WHEN THEY DIE?
INTRODUCTION
One of the most frequently quoted verses in support of Christians going immediately to heaven at death is:
“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:8, KJV
This verse is often paraphrased as though Paul said:
“TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY IS TO BE PRESENT WITH THE LORD.”
Or even:
“WHEN A CHRISTIAN DIES, HIS IMMORTAL SOUL IMMEDIATELY GOES TO HEAVEN.”
But Paul does not actually say either of those things.
To understand his meaning, we must read the surrounding verses.
And when we do, something very important appears.
Paul is talking about:
MORTALITY.
BEING CLOTHED.
BEING UNCLOTHED.
A HEAVENLY DWELLING.
AND MORTALITY BEING:
“SWALLOWED UP OF LIFE.”
This language closely resembles Paul's teaching about the RESURRECTION in 1 Corinthians 15.
Let us examine it.
QUICK FACT 49 — PAUL DOES NOT SAY “TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY IS TO BE PRESENT WITH THE LORD”
This distinction is important.
Paul actually says:
“We are confident, I say, and WILLING RATHER to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:8, KJV
Notice:
“WILLING RATHER.”
Paul is describing what he desires.
He wants ultimately to leave his present mortal condition and be with Christ.
But the verse itself does not explain WHEN this occurs.
It does not say:
THE MOMENT YOU DIE, YOUR CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL LEAVES YOUR BODY AND GOES TO HEAVEN.
Those words simply are not in the passage.
To discover what Paul means, we must read the context.
QUICK FACT 50 — PAUL BEGINS BY DESCRIBING OUR PRESENT BODY AS AN “EARTHLY HOUSE”
Paul writes:
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God,
an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:1, KJV
Paul contrasts:
OUR PRESENT EARTHLY CONDITION
with:
THE FUTURE DWELLING GOD PROVIDES.
He continues:
“For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:2, KJV
Notice Paul's language:
“CLOTHED UPON.”
This becomes extremely important.
QUICK FACT 51 — PAUL DOES NOT DESIRE TO BE “UNCLOTHED”
Paul continues:
“If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened:
not for that we would be UNCLOTHED,
but CLOTHED UPON...”
— 2 Corinthians 5:3–4, KJV
Notice carefully:
Paul does NOT say that his great hope is to become:
“UNCLOTHED.”
Instead he says:
“NOT FOR THAT WE WOULD BE UNCLOTHED,
BUT CLOTHED UPON.”
This is extremely interesting if Paul's hope is supposed to be existing as a disembodied immortal soul after death.
Paul's desire is not nakedness or an unclothed state.
His desire is to be:
“CLOTHED UPON.”
QUICK FACT 52 — PAUL TELLS US THE PURPOSE: “THAT MORTALITY MIGHT BE SWALLOWED UP OF LIFE”
Now comes perhaps the key statement:
“Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon,
THAT MORTALITY MIGHT BE SWALLOWED UP OF LIFE.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:4, KJV
Notice:
MORTALITY.
Paul is again talking about human mortality.
And what does he want?
For mortality to be:
“SWALLOWED UP OF LIFE.”
Does this language sound familiar?
It should.
Because Paul uses remarkably similar language in his great chapter about the resurrection.
QUICK FACT 53 — COMPARE 2 CORINTHIANS 5 WITH 1 CORINTHIANS 15
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians:
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
Then:
“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.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:54, KJV
Compare the language.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:4:
“MORTALITY MIGHT BE SWALLOWED UP OF LIFE.”
1 CORINTHIANS 15:53–54:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
And:
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
What is Paul unquestionably discussing in 1 Corinthians 15?
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
He says:
“The trumpet shall sound,
and THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE,
and we shall be changed.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:52, KJV
This comparison is extremely important.
Paul's hope in 2 Corinthians 5 fits naturally with his hope elsewhere:
NOT REMAINING DEAD.
NOT REMAINING UNCLOTHED.
BUT RECEIVING THE LIFE GOD GIVES THROUGH RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 54 — GOD PREPARED BELIEVERS FOR THIS FUTURE LIFE
Paul continues:
“Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God,
who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:5, KJV
Who prepares believers for this future hope?
GOD.
Paul's confidence is not based upon humans naturally possessing indestructible life.
His confidence is in:
GOD.
The same God who raised Jesus from the dead can give life to His people.
Paul writes elsewhere:
“He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus...”
— 2 Corinthians 4:14, KJV
Notice that this appears immediately before the discussion in chapter 5.
The context already contains:
RESURRECTION.
PART 8 CONCLUSION
Does 2 Corinthians 5:8 say:
“THE MOMENT A CHRISTIAN DIES, HIS IMMORTAL SOUL IMMEDIATELY GOES TO HEAVEN”?
No.
Those words are not in the text.
Paul says he desires:
“TO BE PRESENT WITH THE LORD.”
But the surrounding context tells us much more.
Paul speaks about:
OUR PRESENT MORTAL CONDITION.
↓
OUR EARTHLY HOUSE.
↓
BEING BURDENED.
↓
NOT WANTING TO BE “UNCLOTHED.”
↓
BUT WANTING TO BE:
“CLOTHED UPON.”
↓
SO THAT:
“MORTALITY MIGHT BE SWALLOWED UP OF LIFE.”
Compare this with 1 Corinthians 15:
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
↓
THE MORTAL PUTS ON IMMORTALITY.
↓
DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.
The similarity is difficult to ignore.
Paul's great Christian hope was not simply:
ESCAPING FROM THE BODY AS AN IMMORTAL SOUL.
His hope was:
LIFE.
IMMORTALITY.
RESURRECTION.
AND BEING WITH THE LORD.
WHEN WILL BELIEVERS BE WITH THE LORD?
Paul gives us an especially clear answer elsewhere:
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven...
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them...
to meet the Lord in the air:
AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, KJV
Notice:
THE LORD RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
↓
THE LIVING ARE GATHERED WITH THEM.
↓
THEY MEET THE LORD.
↓
“AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
This passage explicitly connects being forever with the Lord with:
THE RETURN OF JESUS
AND
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
COMING NEXT:
PART 9 — “TO DEPART, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”
DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:23 PROVE PAUL EXPECTED TO GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?
Paul wrote:
“Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.”
— Philippians 1:23, KJV
Did Paul mean:
“I WILL DIE AND IMMEDIATELY CONTINUE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN”?
Or could Paul desire death followed, from his own perspective, by his next conscious experience:
RESURRECTION AND BEING WITH CHRIST?
We will compare Philippians 1 with Paul's own teaching concerning:
DEATH.
SLEEP.
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
THE RESURRECTION.
AND RECEIVING THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS:
“AT THAT DAY.”
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
AND FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
Part 9 of the “Are the Dead Alive or Dead?” Bible study examines Paul’s statement in Philippians 1:23 that he desired “to depart, and to be with Christ.” This study asks whether Paul expected his conscious immortal soul to go immediately to heaven at death, or whether his hope should be understood alongside his wider teaching about death as sleep, the return of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead and believers being forever with the Lord.
PART 9 — “TO DEPART, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”
DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?
Paul wrote:
“Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.”
— Philippians 1:23, KJV
This verse is frequently quoted as evidence that Paul expected to become consciously alive with Christ in heaven immediately after death.
But does Paul actually say that?
Paul certainly desired to be with Christ. The important question is WHEN he expected this hope to be fulfilled.
Elsewhere Paul describes dead Christians as “asleep,” teaches that “the dead in Christ shall rise first” when Jesus returns, and says believers will then meet the Lord:
“And so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, KJV
Paul also looked forward to the transformation of our mortal bodies and the resurrection of the dead.
Part 9 therefore compares Philippians 1:23 with Paul’s wider teaching to ask whether “to depart, and to be with Christ” requires an immediate conscious existence in heaven at death, or whether Paul’s ultimate hope was resurrection and everlasting life with Christ.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES. COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE. TEST EVERY TRADITION.
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
What happens to Christians who have died before Jesus returns?
Paul gives us one of the clearest answers in the New Testament.
He describes dead believers as:
“THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13
Then Paul describes the return of Jesus:
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
And what happens next?
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
Then the living believers will be:
“CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM”
to meet the Lord.
Paul concludes:
“AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Notice the biblical sequence:
THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP.
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
THE TRUMPET SOUNDS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
↓
THE LIVING ARE GATHERED TOGETHER WITH THEM.
↓
THEY MEET THE LORD.
↓
“AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
Paul then tells Christians:
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:18
Part 10 examines why Paul’s great message of comfort centres upon the return of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES. COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE. TEST EVERY TRADITION. FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 10 — WHAT HAPPENS WHEN JESUS RETURNS?
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST” — 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13–18
INTRODUCTION
Throughout this investigation we have examined several passages commonly used to teach that Christians remain consciously alive after death.
But now let us return to one of the clearest descriptions Paul ever gave concerning dead Christians.
What happens to believers who die before Jesus returns?
Paul answers this question directly in:
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13–18.
And the language Paul uses is extremely important.
He describes dead Christians as:
“ASLEEP.”
He says Jesus will:
DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.
Then:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
Afterward the living believers will be caught up:
“TOGETHER WITH THEM.”
And Paul concludes:
“SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
Let us examine this passage carefully.
QUICK FACT 63 — PAUL CALLS DEAD CHRISTIANS “ASLEEP”
Paul begins:
“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.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, KJV
Who are:
“THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP”?
The context makes the answer clear.
Paul is speaking about Christians who have died.
Notice that he does not describe them here as:
IMMORTAL SOULS LIVING IN HEAVEN.
Instead, he uses the familiar biblical description:
SLEEP.
This agrees with Daniel:
“Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.”
— Daniel 12:2, KJV
It also agrees with Jesus' description of Lazarus:
“Our friend Lazarus sleepeth...”
— John 11:11, KJV
Jesus then explained plainly:
“Lazarus is dead.”
— John 11:14, KJV
Again:
DEATH IS DESCRIBED AS SLEEP.
QUICK FACT 64 — PAUL'S HOPE IS BASED UPON JESUS' RESURRECTION
Paul continues:
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, KJV
Notice the foundation of Paul's hope:
JESUS DIED.
AND:
JESUS ROSE AGAIN.
Why is Christ's resurrection so important?
Because the Christian hope is also:
RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.
Paul explains this elsewhere:
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:20, KJV
Christ's resurrection guarantees the future hope of those who belong to Him.
QUICK FACT 65 — PAUL SPEAKS ABOUT “THE COMING OF THE LORD”
Paul continues:
“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.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:15, KJV
Notice the event Paul directs Christians toward:
“THE COMING OF THE LORD.”
Paul is comforting Christians who are grieving over believers who have died.
His answer points them toward:
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
This agrees perfectly with Jesus' own promise:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.”
— John 6:40, KJV
QUICK FACT 66 — JESUS DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN
Paul now describes what happens:
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
Notice the sequence.
THE LORD DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
There is:
A SHOUT.
THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL.
THE TRUMPET OF GOD.
And then something extraordinary happens.
QUICK FACT 67 — “THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST”
Paul continues:
“And the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
These words could hardly be more important.
Paul calls them:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST.”
And what must happen?
THEY:
“SHALL RISE.”
If the dead in Christ are already enjoying their completed hope consciously in heaven, why does Paul place such enormous emphasis upon their future resurrection?
Paul's language points directly toward:
THE DEAD.
↓
CHRIST RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD RISE.
QUICK FACT 68 — THE LIVING ARE GATHERED “TOGETHER WITH THEM”
Paul continues:
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, KJV
Notice those beautiful words:
“TOGETHER WITH THEM.”
The dead believers are raised.
The living believers are gathered.
And together God's people meet Jesus.
The great Christian reunion occurs at:
THE COMING OF THE LORD.
QUICK FACT 69 — “SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD”
Now Paul gives us one of the clearest statements in the passage:
“And so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, KJV
Notice the sequence:
JESUS DESCENDS.
↓
THE TRUMPET SOUNDS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
↓
THE LIVING ARE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM.
↓
THEY MEET THE LORD.
↓
“AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
This is extremely important when compared with:
“TO DEPART, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
— Philippians 1:23
And:
“TO BE PRESENT WITH THE LORD.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:8
Paul himself gives us a clear picture of believers being forever with the Lord in connection with:
CHRIST'S RETURN
AND
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
QUICK FACT 70 — THESE WERE PAUL'S WORDS OF COMFORT
How does Paul finish?
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:18, KJV
Think carefully about this.
Christians were grieving over believers who had died.
Paul wanted to comfort them.
What does he tell them?
He does not simply say:
“Do not worry. They are already consciously alive in heaven.”
Instead he says:
JESUS WILL RETURN.
THE TRUMPET WILL SOUND.
THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE.
THE LIVING WILL BE GATHERED WITH THEM.
AND TOGETHER THEY WILL BE WITH THE LORD FOREVER.
Paul says:
“COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS.”
PART 10 CONCLUSION
1 Thessalonians 4 gives us one of the clearest biblical sequences concerning dead Christians.
BELIEVERS DIE.
↓
PAUL DESCRIBES THEM AS:
“ASLEEP.”
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
THE TRUMPET OF GOD SOUNDS.
↓
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
↓
THE LIVING BELIEVERS ARE GATHERED:
“TOGETHER WITH THEM.”
↓
THEY MEET JESUS.
↓
“AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
This is Paul's great message of comfort.
THE CHRISTIAN HOPE IS NOT DEFEATED BY DEATH.
Why?
Because GOD RAISES THE DEAD.
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION
If Paul's central teaching were that Christians immediately become consciously alive with Jesus in heaven when they die, why does his great passage written specifically to comfort Christians grieving over the dead concentrate upon:
THE RETURN OF JESUS?
THE TRUMPET?
THE RESURRECTION?
AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISING?
Paul's words deserve to be allowed to speak for themselves:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
COMING NEXT:
PART 11 — WHAT DID JESUS TEACH ABOUT LAZARUS' DEATH?
“OUR FRIEND LAZARUS SLEEPETH” — JOHN 11
This is an especially important case because Lazarus was actually dead for four days.
Jesus Himself tells us what happened.
Did Jesus say:
LAZARUS IS ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
Did Lazarus describe four days of conscious existence in another world after Jesus raised him?
Or did Jesus simply say:
“LAZARUS IS DEAD”
after first describing his condition as:
“SLEEP”?
Then Jesus went to the tomb and cried:
“LAZARUS, COME FORTH.”
What happened next may provide one of the clearest biblical demonstrations of what resurrection actually means.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES. COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE. TEST EVERY TRADITION. AND FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 11 — WHAT DID JESUS TEACH ABOUT LAZARUS’ DEATH?
“OUR FRIEND LAZARUS SLEEPETH” — JOHN 11
PART 12 — MOSES AND ELIJAH AT THE TRANSFIGURATION
DOES MATTHEW 17 PROVE THAT THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE?
INTRODUCTION
If the dead are asleep awaiting resurrection, an obvious question arises:
WHAT ABOUT MOSES AND ELIJAH?
Matthew records an extraordinary event.
Jesus took Peter, James and John onto a high mountain.
There Jesus was transfigured before them.
His face shone like the sun.
His clothing became brilliantly white.
Then:
“Behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
— Matthew 17:3, KJV
This passage is sometimes presented as straightforward proof that dead believers are consciously alive.
The argument is:
MOSES DIED.
↓
MOSES APPEARED WITH JESUS.
↓
THEREFORE MOSES MUST HAVE BEEN CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE SINCE HIS DEATH.
But is that conclusion required?
There are several important details we need to examine.
Especially what Jesus Himself called the experience.
QUICK FACT 80 — MOSES REALLY DIED
There can be no serious question concerning what Deuteronomy says happened to Moses.
Scripture tells us:
“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.”
— Deuteronomy 34:5, KJV
Then:
“And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab...”
— Deuteronomy 34:6, KJV
The Bible therefore explicitly says:
MOSES DIED.
AND:
MOSES WAS BURIED.
This is important because we should not change this clear statement simply because Moses later appears in the Transfiguration account.
QUICK FACT 81 — ELIJAH'S CASE IS DIFFERENT
Elijah's story is different from Moses'.
2 Kings tells us:
“Behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder;
and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
— 2 Kings 2:11, KJV
Therefore we should not treat Moses and Elijah as identical cases.
MOSES:
DIED AND WAS BURIED.
ELIJAH:
WAS TAKEN AWAY IN A WHIRLWIND.
Our main question concerning the state of the dead therefore especially concerns:
MOSES.
QUICK FACT 82 — THE TRANSFIGURATION WAS A SUPERNATURAL REVELATION
Matthew tells us:
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
And was transfigured before them:
and his face did shine as the sun,
and his raiment was white as the light.”
— Matthew 17:1–2, KJV
This was clearly no ordinary meeting.
Jesus' appearance was supernaturally transformed.
Then:
“Behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
— Matthew 17:3, KJV
A bright cloud overshadowed them.
And a voice from the cloud declared:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
— Matthew 17:5, KJV
The disciples fell upon their faces in fear.
Everything about the scene tells us that they were witnessing an extraordinary divine revelation.
QUICK FACT 83 — JESUS HIMSELF CALLED WHAT THEY SAW “THE VISION”
Afterward Jesus and the disciples came down from the mountain.
Then Jesus gave them an important instruction:
“Tell THE VISION to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.”
— Matthew 17:9, KJV
Notice Jesus' own terminology:
“THE VISION.”
The Greek word is:
HORAMA.
It can refer to something seen — particularly a supernatural sight, appearance or vision.
This same word is used elsewhere for supernatural revelations.
For example, Acts 10 describes Peter's supernatural experience:
“Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean...”
— Acts 10:17, KJV
Therefore Jesus' description of the Transfiguration as:
“THE VISION”
is important evidence.
At minimum, it warns us against automatically assuming that Moses' appearance proves Moses had been consciously living in heaven ever since his death.
QUICK FACT 84 — THE TRANSFIGURATION WAS CONNECTED WITH CHRIST'S COMING KINGDOM AND GLORY
Look at what Jesus said immediately before the Transfiguration.
Jesus declared:
“Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death,
till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
— Matthew 16:28, KJV
Then Matthew immediately records:
“And after six days...”
Jesus takes Peter, James and John up the mountain.
There He is transformed in glory.
This strongly connects the Transfiguration with:
THE GLORY OF CHRIST.
THE KINGDOM.
AND THE FUTURE MAJESTY OF JESUS.
Peter later describes the event:
“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables,
when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”
— 2 Peter 1:16, KJV
Peter connects what he witnessed with:
“THE POWER AND COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
The Transfiguration therefore appears to give the disciples a supernatural preview of Christ's future glory.
QUICK FACT 85 — A VISION CAN SHOW PEOPLE AND EVENTS WITHOUT PROVING THEIR PRESENT CONDITION
This principle is important.
A supernatural vision can portray:
PEOPLE.
EVENTS.
PLACES.
SYMBOLS.
AND FUTURE REALITIES.
But the appearance of someone in a vision does not automatically prove that person's present physical or conscious condition.
For example, biblical prophets saw future events before those events actually happened.
The fact that something appears within a supernatural revelation does not necessarily mean the thing being shown is presently occurring in exactly that manner.
Therefore:
MOSES APPEARING IN THE TRANSFIGURATION
does not automatically establish:
MOSES HAD BEEN CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN SINCE HIS DEATH.
That conclusion must be demonstrated from Scripture rather than assumed.
QUICK FACT 86 — MOSES' APPEARANCE DOES NOT CANCEL THE CLEAR STATEMENT THAT MOSES DIED
Remember:
“So Moses the servant of the LORD DIED...”
— Deuteronomy 34:5, KJV
And:
“He buried him...”
— Deuteronomy 34:6, KJV
Jesus later describes what Peter, James and John witnessed as:
“THE VISION.”
— Matthew 17:9, KJV
Therefore we have:
MOSES DIED.
↓
MOSES WAS BURIED.
↓
CENTURIES LATER MOSES APPEARED IN A SUPERNATURAL TRANSFIGURATION SCENE.
↓
JESUS CALLED WHAT THEY HAD SEEN:
“THE VISION.”
Nothing here requires us to overturn the numerous passages we have already examined concerning death and resurrection.
QUICK FACT 87 — THE FOCUS OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IS JESUS
There is another danger when discussing this passage.
We can become so focused upon Moses and Elijah that we miss the central person in the account:
JESUS CHRIST.
Peter initially wanted to build three tabernacles:
“One for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.”
— Matthew 17:4, KJV
But then God's voice declares:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;
HEAR YE HIM.”
— Matthew 17:5, KJV
Then something striking happens.
The disciples lift their eyes:
“And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man,
SAVE JESUS ONLY.”
— Matthew 17:8, KJV
That is a powerful conclusion to the scene.
MOSES DISAPPEARS.
ELIJAH DISAPPEARS.
JESUS REMAINS.
And the Father's command is:
“HEAR YE HIM.”
PART 12 CONCLUSION
Does Moses appearing at the Transfiguration prove that all dead believers remain consciously alive between death and resurrection?
I do not believe Matthew 17 requires that conclusion.
Consider the evidence:
MOSES DEFINITELY DIED.
↓
MOSES WAS BURIED.
↓
JESUS WAS SUPERNATURALLY TRANSFIGURED.
↓
MOSES AND ELIJAH APPEARED.
↓
THE SCENE REVEALED CHRIST'S MAJESTY AND GLORY.
↓
JESUS CALLED WHAT THE DISCIPLES HAD SEEN:
“THE VISION.”
↓
THE FATHER DECLARED:
“THIS IS MY BELOVED SON...
HEAR YE HIM.”
↓
AND FINALLY:
“THEY SAW NO MAN, SAVE JESUS ONLY.”
The Transfiguration is therefore a magnificent revelation of:
THE GLORY OF CHRIST.
THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST.
AND THE COMING KINGDOM OF CHRIST.
It should not automatically be transformed into proof that every person who dies possesses an immortal conscious soul living in heaven before the resurrection.
AND THE WIDER BIBLICAL PATTERN REMAINS
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5
↓
“THEM THAT SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH SHALL AWAKE.”
— Daniel 12:2
↓
“ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE.”
— John 5:28
↓
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
COMING NEXT:
PART 13 — WHAT ABOUT THE “SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR”?
DOES REVELATION 6:9–11 PROVE THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
John wrote:
“I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God...”
— Revelation 6:9, KJV
And these “souls”:
“CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE.”
Does this prove that dead martyrs are consciously speaking in heaven?
Or are we reading symbolic apocalyptic imagery literally?
There is an extraordinary Old Testament comparison that may help us:
God told Cain concerning murdered Abel:
“THE VOICE OF THY BROTHER'S BLOOD CRIETH UNTO ME FROM THE GROUND.”
— Genesis 4:10, KJV
Abel's blood “cried.”
Does that mean his literal blood possessed consciousness and a voice?
Or is Scripture personifying the cry for justice?
That comparison will be extremely important when we examine the souls crying from beneath the altar in Revelation 6.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 13 — WHAT ABOUT THE “SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR”?
DOES REVELATION 6:9–11 PROVE THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
INTRODUCTION
Another passage frequently used to support conscious existence immediately after death is found in Revelation chapter 6.
John writes:
“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And they cried with a loud voice, saying,
How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”
— Revelation 6:9–10, KJV
At first sight, this may appear straightforward.
These people have been killed.
John sees their “souls.”
They speak.
Therefore, some conclude:
THE DEAD MUST BE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN.
But is that necessarily what John intended us to understand?
Before reaching that conclusion, we need to remember what kind of book we are reading.
REVELATION IS FILLED WITH VISIONS.
SYMBOLS.
BEASTS.
HORNS.
LAMPS.
SEALS.
ALTARS.
DRAGONS.
STARS.
AND SYMBOLIC NUMBERS.
So should the souls beneath the altar automatically be interpreted as a literal photograph of what happens to Christians immediately after death?
Let us investigate.
QUICK FACT 88 — JOHN IS DESCRIBING A VISION
Revelation begins by telling us that its message was communicated to John in a visionary and symbolic manner.
Throughout the book John repeatedly says:
“I SAW...”
The fifth seal is part of this continuing sequence of visions.
John says:
“I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain...”
— Revelation 6:9, KJV
Therefore we must interpret the imagery with care.
Seeing something represented within a prophetic vision does not automatically mean that every feature should be understood literally.
QUICK FACT 89 — THESE ARE MARTYRS WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED
Who are these “souls”?
John tells us:
“THE SOULS OF THEM THAT WERE SLAIN FOR THE WORD OF GOD.”
— Revelation 6:9, KJV
These people have been:
SLAIN.
They are martyrs.
Their blood has been shed because of their faithfulness to God.
And what are they crying for?
JUSTICE.
They ask:
“How long... dost thou not judge and avenge our blood...?”
— Revelation 6:10, KJV
This language should immediately remind Bible students of another murdered righteous man.
QUICK FACT 90 — ABEL’S BLOOD ALSO “CRIED” TO GOD
Cain murdered his brother Abel.
Then God said to Cain:
“What hast thou done?
the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”
— Genesis 4:10, KJV
Notice carefully:
ABEL’S BLOOD:
“CRIETH UNTO ME.”
Was Abel’s literal blood consciously speaking from the ground?
Did blood cells possess:
THOUGHTS?
CONSCIOUSNESS?
A VOICE?
No.
The language powerfully personifies Abel’s shed blood as crying out to God for:
JUSTICE.
Abel had been murdered.
His blood demanded an answer from the righteous Judge.
NOW COMPARE REVELATION 6
Genesis:
“THE VOICE OF THY BROTHER’S BLOOD CRIETH UNTO ME FROM THE GROUND.”
Revelation:
The slain martyrs cry:
“HOW LONG... DOST THOU NOT JUDGE AND AVENGE OUR BLOOD?”
The similarity is striking.
Both passages concern:
RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN MURDERED.
SHED BLOOD.
A CRY TO GOD.
AND DIVINE JUSTICE.
Therefore, the fact that the souls in Revelation “cry” does not by itself prove literal conscious speech by dead people.
Scripture had already used very similar imagery concerning Abel’s blood.
QUICK FACT 91 — WHY ARE THE SOULS “UNDER THE ALTAR”?
This detail is extremely important.
John does not simply say:
“I saw immortal souls living happily in heaven.”
He says:
“I saw UNDER THE ALTAR the souls of them that were slain...”
— Revelation 6:9, KJV
Why:
UNDER THE ALTAR?
The imagery makes sense when compared with the Old Testament sacrificial system.
The blood of sacrifices was poured at:
THE BASE OF THE ALTAR.
For example:
“And he shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering...”
— Leviticus 4:7, KJV
Again:
“And all the blood thereof shall he pour out at the bottom of the altar.”
— Leviticus 4:18, KJV
Blood was associated with:
LIFE.
Leviticus says:
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood...”
— Leviticus 17:11, KJV
Therefore the picture of slain martyrs:
“UNDER THE ALTAR”
fits powerful sacrificial imagery.
Their lives have been poured out.
Their blood has been shed.
Their deaths cry out for justice.
QUICK FACT 92 — THE BIBLE CAN USE “SOUL” FOR THE PERSON OR LIFE
Another assumption often made is:
“SOUL” MUST MEAN AN IMMATERIAL, CONSCIOUS, IMMORTAL PERSON LIVING OUTSIDE THE BODY.
But the biblical words translated “soul” have a broader range of meanings.
They can refer to:
A PERSON.
A LIFE.
A LIVING CREATURE.
OR THE LIFE OF A PERSON.
For example, Acts 2:41 says:
“There were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
— KJV
This means:
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE.
Therefore simply finding the word:
“SOULS”
does not automatically prove the doctrine of an inherently immortal conscious soul.
QUICK FACT 93 — THE MARTYRS ARE TOLD TO “REST YET FOR A LITTLE SEASON”
Now notice what happens next.
John says:
“And white robes were given unto every one of them;
and it was said unto them,
that they should REST YET FOR A LITTLE SEASON,
until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
— Revelation 6:11, KJV
Notice:
“REST YET FOR A LITTLE SEASON.”
Their vindication has not yet occurred.
Their killers have not yet received final judgment.
They are waiting for:
FUTURE EVENTS.
This agrees with the wider biblical pattern in which God's people await final vindication and resurrection.
QUICK FACT 94 — THEIR CRY IS FOR FUTURE JUDGMENT
The martyrs ask:
“HOW LONG?”
Why?
Because judgment has not yet happened.
They ask God:
“When will You avenge our blood?”
This points forward toward:
FUTURE JUDGMENT.
The vision is therefore about the vindication of God's persecuted people.
It assures believers:
GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN THEIR DEATHS.
GOD KNOWS THEIR SUFFERING.
GOD KNOWS THEIR BLOOD WAS SHED.
AND GOD WILL BRING JUSTICE.
QUICK FACT 95 — SYMBOLIC SPEECH DOES NOT REQUIRE LITERAL CONSCIOUSNESS
The Bible frequently personifies things that do not literally possess consciousness.
Abel’s blood:
“CRIETH.”
Wisdom:
“CRIETH WITHOUT.”
— Proverbs 1:20, KJV
Creation itself can be described as:
“GROANING.”
— Romans 8:22
Therefore, when a prophetic vision portrays slain martyrs crying for justice, we cannot simply assume:
THEY MUST LITERALLY BE CONSCIOUSLY SPEAKING WHILE DEAD.
The imagery itself can communicate the cry of their martyrdom before God.
PART 13 CONCLUSION
Does Revelation 6:9–11 prove that dead Christians are consciously alive in heaven?
I do not believe the passage requires that interpretation.
Consider the evidence.
REVELATION IS A BOOK FILLED WITH PROPHETIC VISIONS AND SYMBOLISM.
↓
JOHN SEES:
“SOULS”
OF PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN:
“SLAIN.”
↓
THEY ARE:
“UNDER THE ALTAR.”
↓
OLD TESTAMENT SACRIFICIAL BLOOD WAS POURED AT THE BASE OF THE ALTAR.
↓
THE MARTYRS CRY FOR THEIR:
“BLOOD”
TO BE AVENGED.
↓
ABEL’S BLOOD ALSO:
“CRIED”
TO GOD AFTER HIS MURDER.
↓
THE MARTYRS ARE TOLD TO:
“REST YET FOR A LITTLE SEASON.”
↓
THEIR FINAL VINDICATION AND JUDGMENT REMAIN FUTURE.
Therefore Revelation 6 can naturally be understood as a powerful symbolic picture of:
MARTYRDOM.
SHED BLOOD.
THE CRY FOR JUSTICE.
AND GOD’S PROMISE TO VINDICATE HIS PEOPLE.
IT DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO OVERTURN THE MANY CLEAR PASSAGES WE HAVE ALREADY EXAMINED
“The dead know not any thing.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5
“Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.”
— Daniel 12:2
“Lazarus is dead.”
— John 11:14
“The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
THE GREAT MESSAGE OF REVELATION 6 IS NOT THAT DEATH HAS BECOME LIFE
The message is:
GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN HIS MARTYRS.
Their blood cries for justice.
Their suffering matters.
Their deaths will not be forgotten.
And God will ultimately:
JUDGE.
VINDICATE.
AND GIVE LIFE TO HIS PEOPLE.
COMING NEXT:
PART 14 — WHAT ABOUT THE “SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT”?
DOES HEBREWS 12:22–24 PROVE THAT DEAD BELIEVERS ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY LIVING IN HEAVEN?
Hebrews speaks about:
“THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.”
“AN INNUMERABLE COMPANY OF ANGELS.”
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT.”
And:
“JESUS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT.”
— Hebrews 12:22–24
Does this mean dead Christians are already consciously alive in heaven?
Or is Hebrews describing believers' covenantal access to the heavenly assembly and the future inheritance promised by God?
And what did Hebrews say only one chapter earlier about faithful believers who had died?
“These all died in faith, NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
— Hebrews 11:13
And:
“These all... received not the promise:
God having provided some better thing for us,
that they WITHOUT US should not be made perfect.”
— Hebrews 11:39–40
That immediate context will be extremely important.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 14 — WHAT ABOUT THE “SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT”?
DOES HEBREWS 12:22–24 PROVE THAT DEAD BELIEVERS ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
Hebrews 12 contains another passage frequently used to support the belief that dead Christians are already consciously alive in heaven.
The writer says:
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven,
and to God the Judge of all,
and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant...”
— Hebrews 12:22–24, KJV
The expression:
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT”
is sometimes interpreted to mean:
THE CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOULS OF DEAD BELIEVERS ARE ALREADY LIVING IN HEAVEN.
But is that necessarily what Hebrews teaches?
There is an immediate problem with interpreting these verses in isolation.
Only a few verses earlier, Hebrews has been discussing faithful servants of God who:
DIED.
HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PROMISE.
AND WOULD NOT BE “MADE PERFECT” APART FROM US.
That context deserves very careful attention.
QUICK FACT 96 — HEBREWS 11 DESCRIBES FAITHFUL PEOPLE WHO DIED WITHOUT RECEIVING THE PROMISES
Hebrews 11 lists many faithful servants of God.
Abel.
Enoch.
Noah.
Abraham.
Sarah.
Isaac.
Jacob.
Joseph.
Moses.
And many others.
Then we read:
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off...”
— Hebrews 11:13, KJV
Notice:
“THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH.”
And:
“NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
They trusted what God had promised.
But they died before receiving the complete fulfillment of those promises.
This is extremely important when we come to Hebrews chapter 12.
QUICK FACT 97 — ABRAHAM WAS LOOKING FOR A FUTURE CITY
Hebrews says concerning Abraham:
“For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
— Hebrews 11:10, KJV
Later:
“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly:
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God:
for he hath prepared for them a city.”
— Hebrews 11:16, KJV
Notice the future hope.
Abraham trusted God's promise.
He looked forward to:
THE CITY GOD PREPARED.
THE BETTER COUNTRY.
THE FUTURE INHERITANCE.
Hebrews does not say here that Abraham had already received everything promised to him when he died.
Instead:
“These all died in faith, NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
QUICK FACT 98 — HEBREWS SAYS THEY “RECEIVED NOT THE PROMISE”
At the end of Hebrews 11 we find another extremely important statement:
“And these all, having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise:
God having provided some better thing for us...”
— Hebrews 11:39–40, KJV
Again:
“RECEIVED NOT THE PROMISE.”
This must be considered when interpreting the next chapter.
The chapter division between Hebrews 11 and Hebrews 12 was not part of the original letter.
The writer's argument continues.
Therefore we should not isolate:
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT”
from what has just been said about the faithful who died.
QUICK FACT 99 — “THAT THEY WITHOUT US SHOULD NOT BE MADE PERFECT”
Now notice the rest of Hebrews 11:40:
“God having provided some better thing for us,
that they WITHOUT US should not be made perfect.”
— Hebrews 11:40, KJV
This statement is especially significant when compared with Hebrews 12:23:
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT.”
Hebrews 11 says:
“THEY WITHOUT US SHOULD NOT BE MADE PERFECT.”
This points toward a shared fulfillment of God's promise rather than requiring the conclusion that each believer receives complete perfection as a conscious immortal soul immediately upon death.
God's faithful people are connected together in the fulfillment of His promised salvation.
QUICK FACT 100 — HEBREWS 12 SAYS LIVING CHRISTIANS HAD ALREADY “COME” TO HEAVENLY REALITIES
Now we reach Hebrews chapter 12:
“But YE ARE COME unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...”
— Hebrews 12:22, KJV
Notice:
“YE ARE COME.”
The writer is addressing Christians who were still alive.
Yet he says they had already come to:
MOUNT SION.
THE CITY OF THE LIVING GOD.
THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
AN INNUMERABLE COMPANY OF ANGELS.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
GOD THE JUDGE OF ALL.
JESUS THE MEDIATOR.
Were these living Christians physically standing in heaven when Hebrews was written?
No.
They were still living their earthly Christian lives.
Therefore the language cannot simply mean:
EVERY PERSON MENTIONED IN THIS PASSAGE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT TOGETHER IN HEAVEN AT THIS MOMENT.
The passage is describing believers as having access to and participation in the heavenly realities of God's new covenant.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CLUE
If living Christians on earth could already be described as having:
“COME UNTO MOUNT SION”
and:
“THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM,”
then the heavenly language of Hebrews 12 cannot automatically be turned into a literal geographical description of where dead believers consciously live.
We must continue examining the context.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 14 — PART TWO
In Part Two we will examine:
THE “CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN, WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.”
WHAT “SPIRIT” MEANS IN SCRIPTURE.
THE CONTRAST BETWEEN MOUNT SINAI AND MOUNT ZION.
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT.”
JESUS AS MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT.
AND THE BLOOD THAT:
“SPEAKETH BETTER THINGS THAN THAT OF ABEL.”
Then we will bring Hebrews 11 and Hebrews 12 together and ask:
DOES HEBREWS 12:22–24 REALLY TEACH THAT DEAD BELIEVERS ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY LIVING IN HEAVEN?
Or is the writer describing the magnificent heavenly and new-covenant realities to which God's people now belong?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 14 — WHAT ABOUT THE “SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT”?
DOES HEBREWS 12:22–24 PROVE THAT DEAD BELIEVERS ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we discovered something extremely important.
Hebrews 11 says that God's faithful servants:
“DIED IN FAITH.”
They:
“RECEIVED NOT THE PROMISE.”
And God had provided something better:
“THAT THEY WITHOUT US SHOULD NOT BE MADE PERFECT.”
— Hebrews 11:40, KJV
Then, immediately afterward, Hebrews 12 describes Christians who were still alive as having already:
“COME UNTO MOUNT SION”
and:
“THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.”
This tells us that the heavenly language in Hebrews 12 must be interpreted carefully.
Now let us continue.
QUICK FACT 101 — THEIR NAMES ARE “WRITTEN IN HEAVEN”
Hebrews speaks of:
“The general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven...”
— Hebrews 12:23, KJV
Notice carefully:
“WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.”
Jesus used similar language when speaking to His disciples:
“Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
— Luke 10:20, KJV
Were Jesus' disciples physically living in heaven when He said this?
No.
They were alive on earth.
Yet their:
NAMES
were:
“WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.”
Therefore belonging to a heavenly assembly or having one's name written in heaven does not necessarily mean that the person is presently and consciously living there.
QUICK FACT 102 — DOES “SPIRIT” AUTOMATICALLY MEAN AN IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS SOUL?
Hebrews refers to:
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT.”
— Hebrews 12:23, KJV
Some immediately interpret:
“SPIRITS”
as meaning:
CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOULS OF DEAD PEOPLE LIVING IN HEAVEN.
But does the word “spirit” itself prove this?
No.
The biblical words translated “spirit” can have different meanings depending upon their context.
Scripture can use “spirit” in connection with:
BREATH.
LIFE.
THE INNER PERSON.
A PERSON'S DISPOSITION.
SPIRITUAL BEINGS.
AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
Therefore we cannot simply read:
“SPIRITS”
and automatically insert the doctrine:
“IMMORTAL SOULS CONSCIOUSLY LIVING AFTER DEATH.”
That conclusion must be demonstrated from the context.
QUICK FACT 103 — AT DEATH THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD
Ecclesiastes says:
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7, KJV
This verse is sometimes quoted as proof that the conscious person goes to heaven at death.
But notice what the verse actually says.
THE DUST:
RETURNS TO THE EARTH.
THE SPIRIT:
RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.
It does not say:
“THE CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL CONTINUES LIVING IN HEAVEN.”
And the same book explicitly says:
“The dead know not any thing.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5, KJV
Therefore “the spirit returning to God” cannot simply be assumed to mean that the conscious personality continues living in heaven.
QUICK FACT 104 — THE CENTRAL CONTRAST IS BETWEEN MOUNT SINAI AND MOUNT ZION
Now look at the larger context of Hebrews 12.
Before describing Mount Zion, the writer describes Mount Sinai.
There was:
A MOUNTAIN THAT COULD BE TOUCHED.
FIRE.
BLACKNESS.
DARKNESS.
TEMPEST.
THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET.
AND GREAT FEAR.
— Hebrews 12:18–21
Then comes the great contrast:
“BUT YE ARE COME UNTO MOUNT SION...”
— Hebrews 12:22, KJV
The writer is contrasting:
MOUNT SINAI
with:
MOUNT ZION.
The old covenant setting is contrasted with the magnificent heavenly realities associated with the new covenant.
And who stands at the centre of this new covenant?
JESUS.
QUICK FACT 105 — JESUS IS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT
Hebrews says believers have come:
“To Jesus the mediator of the new covenant...”
— Hebrews 12:24, KJV
This helps us understand the focus of the passage.
Hebrews is describing the privileged position God's people now have through:
JESUS CHRIST.
They belong to:
THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
THE ASSEMBLY OF GOD'S PEOPLE.
THE NEW COVENANT.
AND JESUS THE MEDIATOR.
The passage is therefore much larger than a description of what happens to someone's consciousness immediately after death.
QUICK FACT 106 — THE BLOOD OF JESUS ALSO “SPEAKS”
Hebrews continues:
“And to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
— Hebrews 12:24, KJV
Notice:
THE BLOOD:
“SPEAKETH.”
Does Jesus' literal blood possess:
A MOUTH?
A VOICE?
CONSCIOUSNESS?
Of course not.
This is powerful biblical imagery.
And once again:
ABEL
appears.
God told Cain:
“The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.”
— Genesis 4:10, KJV
Abel's blood:
“CRIED.”
Jesus' blood:
“SPEAKETH.”
Neither statement requires literal conscious blood.
This is another reminder that Hebrews uses powerful theological imagery that must be understood according to its context.
QUICK FACT 107 — HEBREWS 11 AND 12 MUST BE READ TOGETHER
Now put the evidence together.
HEBREWS 11:
“These all died in faith.”
↓
“NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
↓
“They... RECEIVED NOT THE PROMISE.”
↓
“They WITHOUT US should not be made perfect.”
THEN HEBREWS 12:
“YE ARE COME”
to:
MOUNT ZION.
THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
THE CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN.
GOD THE JUDGE OF ALL.
THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT.
JESUS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT.
The writer is presenting the magnificent fulfillment toward which God's entire faithful community is moving.
He is not necessarily giving us a literal description of conscious immortal souls living in heaven between death and resurrection.
PART 14 — FINAL CONCLUSION
Does:
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT”
prove that dead Christians are already consciously alive in heaven?
I do not believe Hebrews requires that interpretation.
The immediate context is extremely important.
The faithful:
DIED IN FAITH.
↓
THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED THE COMPLETE PROMISE.
↓
GOD PROVIDED SOMETHING BETTER.
↓
THEY WOULD NOT BE MADE PERFECT APART FROM US.
↓
LIVING CHRISTIANS COULD ALREADY BE DESCRIBED AS HAVING “COME” TO THE HEAVENLY ZION.
Therefore the language of Hebrews 12 cannot simply be reduced to:
“DEAD IMMORTAL SOULS ARE NOW CONSCIOUSLY LIVING IN HEAVEN.”
THE PASSAGE IS ABOUT SOMETHING FAR GREATER
It describes God's people belonging to:
THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
THE ASSEMBLY OF THE FIRSTBORN.
THE NEW COVENANT.
GOD THE JUDGE OF ALL.
AND:
JESUS THE MEDIATOR.
And the hope of God's faithful people remains connected with the fulfillment of God's promises.
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN WE HAVE DISCOVERED STILL STANDS:
THE FAITHFUL DIE.
↓
THE DEAD SLEEP.
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
↓
THE MORTAL PUTS ON IMMORTALITY.
↓
GOD'S PEOPLE RECEIVE THE PROMISED LIFE TOGETHER.
As Paul said:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
And:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
COMING NEXT:
PART 15 — DID JESUS PREACH TO DEAD SPIRITS IN PRISON?
WHAT DOES 1 PETER 3:18–20 REALLY MEAN?
Peter wrote:
“By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah...”
— 1 Peter 3:19–20, KJV
This is one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament.
Some believe it teaches that after Jesus died He descended into the underworld and preached to conscious dead human beings.
But is that what Peter actually meant?
We will investigate:
WHO WERE THE “SPIRITS IN PRISON”?
WHEN DID CHRIST PREACH TO THEM?
WHY DOES PETER IMMEDIATELY MENTION NOAH?
WHAT DOES 1 PETER 1:11 SAY ABOUT “THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST” SPEAKING THROUGH EARLIER PROPHETS?
AND DOES THIS PASSAGE REALLY TEACH THAT DEAD HUMAN BEINGS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE?
Because several interpretations of this difficult passage are possible, we will examine the alternatives fairly before reaching a conclusion.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 15 — DID JESUS PREACH TO DEAD HUMAN SOULS IN HADES?
WHAT DOES 1 PETER 3:18–22 REALLY TEACH ABOUT THE “SPIRITS IN PRISON”?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
1 Peter 3:18–22 is one of the most difficult and debated passages in the New Testament.
It is also sometimes used to teach that after Jesus died, His conscious soul descended into Hades and preached to the conscious souls of dead human beings.
But is that actually what Peter says?
Let us begin by reading Peter’s words carefully:
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah...”
— 1 Peter 3:18–20, KJV
There are several extremely important details here.
Peter does NOT say:
“Jesus preached to dead human souls.”
Peter does NOT call these beings:
“souls.”
Peter does NOT say:
“Jesus preached the gospel to dead people so that they could be saved.”
And Peter does NOT actually use the word:
“HADES”
in this passage.
Instead, Peter calls the recipients of Christ’s proclamation:
“THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.”
And there is another important detail.
Peter first tells us that Christ was:
“PUT TO DEATH”
and then:
“QUICKENED” — MADE ALIVE.
Only then does Peter describe Christ as having gone and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.
This opens up a very different interpretation from the traditional picture of Jesus consciously preaching to dead human souls while He Himself was dead.
QUICK FACT 108 — JESUS REALLY DIED
Peter begins:
“Christ also hath once suffered for sins... being put to death in the flesh...”
— 1 Peter 3:18, KJV
Jesus genuinely died.
This is fundamental to the gospel.
Paul says:
“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:3, KJV
Jesus did not merely appear to die.
He:
DIED.
He was:
BURIED.
And afterward:
GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.
This is important because we should not use 1 Peter 3 to make Jesus consciously active as a dead human being unless Peter clearly teaches that.
Instead, Peter immediately moves from Christ’s death to Him being:
MADE ALIVE.
QUICK FACT 109 — “QUICKENED” MEANS MADE ALIVE
The KJV says:
“Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
— 1 Peter 3:18
The old English word:
“QUICKENED”
means:
MADE ALIVE.
Therefore Peter presents a striking contrast:
PUT TO DEATH
↓
MADE ALIVE.
Peter elsewhere says:
“God... raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory.”
— 1 Peter 1:21, KJV
The New Testament repeatedly teaches that:
JESUS DIED.
↓
GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.
↓
JESUS LIVES.
Therefore the sequence surrounding 1 Peter 3:19 deserves very careful attention.
QUICK FACT 110 — THE PROCLAMATION CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS FOLLOWING CHRIST BEING MADE ALIVE
Now notice the flow of Peter’s statement:
“Being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.”
— 1 Peter 3:18–19, KJV
The text does not contain a separate Greek word that simply means:
“AFTER.”
Therefore we should NOT claim that translators removed the word “after.”
However, the sequence of Peter’s argument can naturally be understood as:
CHRIST WAS PUT TO DEATH.
↓
CHRIST WAS MADE ALIVE.
↓
THEN, AS THE RISEN CHRIST, HE WENT AND MADE A PROCLAMATION TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.
This interpretation is important because it means that Christ’s proclamation does NOT need to have occurred while Jesus was dead.
Instead, it can be understood as an action of:
THE RISEN CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 111 — PETER DOES NOT SAY JESUS “PREACHED THE GOSPEL” TO DEAD PEOPLE
The KJV says:
“He went and preached unto the spirits in prison.”
— 1 Peter 3:19
But we must be careful with the English word:
“PREACHED.”
The Greek verb used here is:
KĒRYSSŌ.
Its basic meaning is:
TO PROCLAIM.
TO HERALD.
TO ANNOUNCE.
Peter does not explicitly say these spirits were being offered salvation.
Therefore Christ’s message could have been a:
PROCLAMATION OF VICTORY.
A DECLARATION OF AUTHORITY.
A PROCLAMATION OF THEIR DEFEAT.
This becomes particularly interesting when we reach verse 22, where Peter describes:
“ANGELS AND AUTHORITIES AND POWERS”
as being:
“MADE SUBJECT UNTO HIM.”
QUICK FACT 112 — PETER CALLS THEM “SPIRITS,” NOT “SOULS”
This distinction is extremely important.
Peter writes:
“THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.”
He does not say:
“THE SOULS OF DEAD HUMAN BEINGS IN PRISON.”
The Greek word is:
PNEUMASIN
from:
PNEUMA — SPIRIT.
In the New Testament, “spirits” can certainly refer to spiritual beings.
For example, Scripture speaks about:
“UNCLEAN SPIRITS.”
“EVIL SPIRITS.”
“SPIRITS OF DEVILS.”
And other supernatural beings.
Therefore we cannot simply assume:
“SPIRITS IN PRISON”
=
“IMMORTAL HUMAN SOULS IN HADES.”
That identification must be proven.
Peter himself never makes it.
QUICK FACT 113 — THE “SPIRITS” HAD BEEN DISOBEDIENT IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
Peter gives us another major clue:
“Which sometime were disobedient,
when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,
while the ark was a preparing...”
— 1 Peter 3:20, KJV
Peter specifically connects these imprisoned spirits with:
THE DAYS OF NOAH.
Why?
This becomes extremely important when we compare Peter’s other letter.
2 Peter speaks about supernatural beings who sinned and were placed under restraint awaiting judgment:
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness,
to be reserved unto judgment...”
— 2 Peter 2:4, KJV
And what does Peter discuss immediately afterward?
THE ANCIENT WORLD.
NOAH.
AND THE FLOOD.
Peter continues:
“And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness...”
— 2 Peter 2:5, KJV
Notice the parallel.
1 PETER 3:
SPIRITS.
↓
DISOBEDIENCE.
↓
IMPRISONMENT.
↓
THE DAYS OF NOAH.
2 PETER 2:
ANGELS THAT SINNED.
↓
CONFINEMENT.
↓
RESERVED FOR JUDGMENT.
↓
THE ANCIENT WORLD.
↓
NOAH.
This provides serious biblical support for understanding the:
“SPIRITS IN PRISON”
as rebellious supernatural beings rather than the immortal souls of dead human beings.
QUICK FACT 114 — JUDE DESCRIBES REBELLIOUS ANGELS BEING HELD FOR JUDGMENT
Now compare Peter with Jude:
“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,
he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
— Jude 6, KJV
Again we find:
ANGELS.
↓
REBELLION.
↓
CONFINEMENT.
↓
WAITING FOR FUTURE JUDGMENT.
Compare this with Peter’s:
“SPIRITS IN PRISON.”
The similarity is extremely important.
This gives us another reason to consider seriously that Peter was describing:
REBELLIOUS SPIRITUAL BEINGS
rather than:
DEAD HUMAN SOULS.
QUICK FACT 115 — THIS INTERPRETATION DOES NOT REQUIRE DEAD HUMANS TO BE CONSCIOUS IN HADES
Now the importance for our investigation becomes clear.
If the “spirits in prison” are rebellious supernatural beings, then this passage tells us absolutely nothing about ordinary human beings remaining consciously alive after death.
The sequence would instead be:
JESUS DIED.
↓
JESUS WAS MADE ALIVE.
↓
THE RISEN CHRIST PROCLAIMED HIS TRIUMPH TO IMPRISONED REBELLIOUS SPIRITS.
↓
THESE SPIRITS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANCIENT REBELLION CONNECTED WITH THE DAYS OF NOAH.
↓
THEY REMAIN SUBJECT TO GOD’S JUDGMENT.
Therefore this passage cannot legitimately be quoted as though Peter simply said:
“DEAD HUMAN SOULS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HADES.”
Peter never says that.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 15 — PART TWO
In Part Two we will examine something extremely important:
WHAT EXACTLY DID JESUS PROCLAIM TO THESE SPIRITS?
WAS IT AN OFFER OF SALVATION?
OR:
A PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST’S VICTORY AND AUTHORITY?
We will then follow Peter’s argument all the way to verse 22:
“WHO IS GONE INTO HEAVEN, AND IS ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD;
ANGELS AND AUTHORITIES AND POWERS BEING MADE SUBJECT UNTO HIM.”
— 1 Peter 3:22, KJV
That ending may provide one of the strongest clues to the meaning of the entire passage.
The subject is not necessarily:
DEAD HUMAN SOULS RECEIVING A SERMON IN HADES.
The passage may instead describe:
THE DEATH OF CHRIST.
↓
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
↓
THE TRIUMPHANT PROCLAMATION OF THE RISEN CHRIST.
↓
THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.
↓
AND THE SUBJECTION OF SPIRITUAL POWERS TO CHRIST.
If so, rather than proving that dead human beings are consciously alive, this passage is proclaiming something entirely different:
THE VICTORY AND AUTHORITY GOD HAS GIVEN TO HIS RISEN SON.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 15 — DID JESUS PREACH TO DEAD HUMAN SOULS IN HADES?
WHAT DOES 1 PETER 3:18–22 REALLY TEACH ABOUT THE “SPIRITS IN PRISON”?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we discovered several important facts.
Peter does NOT say that Jesus preached to:
“DEAD HUMAN SOULS IN HADES.”
Instead, Peter says Christ proclaimed to:
“THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.”
We also saw that Peter first says Christ was:
“PUT TO DEATH”
and then:
“QUICKENED” — MADE ALIVE.
The sequence can therefore naturally be understood as Christ making this proclamation after being made alive.
We also compared these “spirits in prison” with Peter’s description of:
“THE ANGELS THAT SINNED”
who were confined and reserved for judgment.
Now we need to ask:
WHAT DID THE RISEN CHRIST PROCLAIM TO THESE SPIRITS?
QUICK FACT 116 — “PREACHED” DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN PREACHED THE GOSPEL FOR SALVATION
The KJV says:
“He went and preached unto the spirits in prison.”
— 1 Peter 3:19, KJV
It is very easy to read the English word:
“PREACHED”
and assume Peter means:
JESUS PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO THEM SO THAT THEY COULD REPENT AND BE SAVED.
But Peter does not actually say that.
The Greek verb used here is:
KĒRYSSŌ.
It means to:
PROCLAIM.
HERALD.
ANNOUNCE.
The word itself does not tell us that Christ was offering salvation to these spirits.
Therefore the proclamation could instead have been:
A DECLARATION OF VICTORY.
A PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST’S TRIUMPH.
A DECLARATION OF HIS AUTHORITY OVER REBELLIOUS SPIRITUAL POWERS.
And the end of Peter’s argument gives us an important reason to consider this interpretation.
QUICK FACT 117 — PETER ENDS WITH THE TRIUMPH OF THE RISEN CHRIST
Peter concludes:
“Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God;
angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”
— 1 Peter 3:22, KJV
This is extremely important.
Notice how Peter finishes the passage.
He speaks about:
JESUS GOING INTO HEAVEN.
↓
JESUS BEING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
↓
ANGELS.
↓
AUTHORITIES.
↓
POWERS.
↓
ALL BEING MADE SUBJECT TO CHRIST.
This fits remarkably well with understanding Christ’s proclamation to the imprisoned spirits as a declaration of:
VICTORY.
AUTHORITY.
AND TRIUMPH
over rebellious spiritual powers.
QUICK FACT 118 — THE PASSAGE FORMS A POWERFUL SEQUENCE
Now read Peter’s argument as a whole.
CHRIST SUFFERED FOR SINS.
↓
CHRIST WAS PUT TO DEATH.
↓
CHRIST WAS MADE ALIVE.
↓
THE RISEN CHRIST MADE A PROCLAMATION TO THE “SPIRITS IN PRISON.”
↓
THESE SPIRITS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH DISOBEDIENCE IN THE DAYS OF NOAH.
↓
CHRIST WENT INTO HEAVEN.
↓
CHRIST IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
↓
“ANGELS AND AUTHORITIES AND POWERS” ARE MADE SUBJECT TO HIM.
This provides a coherent reading of the passage.
The emphasis is not upon:
HUMAN SOULS SURVIVING DEATH.
The emphasis is upon:
THE DEATH,
RESURRECTION,
EXALTATION,
AND VICTORY
OF JESUS CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 119 — PETER NEVER USES THE WORD “HADES” IN THIS PASSAGE
This is another fact that should not be overlooked.
Some people describe 1 Peter 3 as though Peter explicitly said:
“Jesus descended into Hades and preached to the dead.”
But Peter does not say this.
The word:
HADES
does not occur in 1 Peter 3:18–22.
Peter says:
“SPIRITS IN PRISON.”
Therefore we should not automatically replace Peter’s words with:
“HUMAN SOULS IN HADES.”
Those are not the same statement.
QUICK FACT 120 — THE “SPIRITS IN PRISON” NEED NOT BE DEAD HUMAN BEINGS
We saw in Part One that Peter elsewhere writes:
“God spared not the angels that sinned...”
— 2 Peter 2:4, KJV
These beings were:
CONFINED.
AND:
“RESERVED UNTO JUDGMENT.”
Jude similarly says:
“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,
he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
— Jude 6, KJV
This gives us a biblical category for:
REBELLIOUS SPIRITUAL BEINGS
WHO ARE:
CONFINED
AND:
AWAITING JUDGMENT.
Therefore Peter’s expression:
“SPIRITS IN PRISON”
does not require us to interpret them as:
DEAD HUMAN SOULS.
QUICK FACT 121 — THEIR CONNECTION WITH NOAH IS SIGNIFICANT
Peter says these spirits:
“Were disobedient...
in the days of Noah.”
— 1 Peter 3:20, KJV
Peter’s second letter again places:
THE ANGELS THAT SINNED
near his discussion of:
THE ANCIENT WORLD
AND:
NOAH.
— 2 Peter 2:4–5
Whatever precise connection Peter understood between these rebellious spirits and Noah’s generation, the important point for our present investigation is this:
PETER IDENTIFIES THEM AS:
“SPIRITS.”
NOT:
“THE SOULS OF DEAD HUMAN BEINGS.”
QUICK FACT 122 — CHRIST’S PROCLAMATION CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS A DECLARATION OF VICTORY
Now everything begins to fit together.
Christ had been:
CRUCIFIED.
His enemies might have believed they had defeated Him.
But:
GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.
The risen Christ then proclaimed His triumph.
And Peter concludes with Christ exalted:
AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,
with:
“ANGELS AND AUTHORITIES AND POWERS BEING MADE SUBJECT UNTO HIM.”
Therefore the message to the imprisoned spirits need not have been:
“YOU NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT.”
It can instead be understood as:
THE MESSIAH HAS TRIUMPHED.
GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.
YOUR REBELLION HAS NOT DEFEATED GOD’S PURPOSE.
THE RISEN CHRIST HAS BEEN EXALTED.
AND SPIRITUAL POWERS ARE SUBJECT TO HIM.
QUICK FACT 123 — THIS PASSAGE DOES NOT PROVE CONSCIOUS HUMAN EXISTENCE AFTER DEATH
We can now return to the question that matters for this entire study.
Does 1 Peter 3:18–22 prove that human beings remain consciously alive after death?
No.
Peter never says:
THE HUMAN SOUL IS IMMORTAL.
Peter never says:
DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN.
Peter never says:
DEAD UNBELIEVERS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HADES.
Peter never says:
JESUS PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO DEAD HUMAN SOULS.
Instead he speaks about:
“SPIRITS IN PRISON.”
And there is substantial biblical reason to understand these as:
REBELLIOUS SPIRITUAL BEINGS.
PART 15 — FINAL CONCLUSION
So what does 1 Peter 3:18–22 actually tell us?
Peter begins with:
THE DEATH OF JESUS.
“PUT TO DEATH.”
↓
Then:
JESUS IS MADE ALIVE.
“QUICKENED.”
↓
Then:
THE RISEN CHRIST MAKES A PROCLAMATION.
↓
The proclamation is directed toward:
“THE SPIRITS IN PRISON.”
↓
These spirits are associated with:
“THE DAYS OF NOAH.”
↓
Peter’s other letter speaks about:
“THE ANGELS THAT SINNED”
being confined and awaiting judgment.
↓
Jude likewise describes rebellious angels:
“RESERVED... UNTO THE JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT DAY.”
↓
Peter finally presents the victorious Christ:
“GONE INTO HEAVEN.”
↓
Jesus is:
“ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”
↓
And:
“ANGELS AND AUTHORITIES AND POWERS”
are:
“MADE SUBJECT UNTO HIM.”
THIS CHANGES THE WHOLE PICTURE
Instead of:
JESUS DIES
↓
HIS CONSCIOUS HUMAN SOUL GOES INTO HADES
↓
HE PREACHES THE GOSPEL TO CONSCIOUS DEAD HUMAN SOULS
the passage can be understood as:
JESUS DIES
↓
GOD RAISES JESUS FROM THE DEAD
↓
THE RISEN CHRIST PROCLAIMS HIS TRIUMPH TO IMPRISONED REBELLIOUS SPIRITS
↓
JESUS ASCENDS INTO HEAVEN
↓
GOD EXALTS HIM
↓
ANGELS, AUTHORITIES AND POWERS ARE SUBJECT TO HIM.
THE CENTRAL MESSAGE IS CHRIST’S VICTORY
This passage therefore does not overturn the many clear scriptures we have already examined concerning the condition of the human dead.
“The dead know not any thing.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5, KJV
“The dead praise not the LORD.”
— Psalm 115:17, KJV
“Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.”
— Daniel 12:2, KJV
“Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.”
— John 11:11, KJV
“Lazarus is dead.”
— John 11:14, KJV
“The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
1 Peter 3 does not require us to abandon this consistent biblical pattern:
LIFE.
↓
DEATH.
↓
THE SLEEP OF DEATH.
↓
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
↓
RESURRECTION.
↓
IMMORTALITY GIVEN TO GOD’S PEOPLE.
Instead, 1 Peter 3:18–22 gives us another magnificent truth:
JESUS REALLY DIED.
GOD REALLY RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.
THE RISEN CHRIST TRIUMPHED.
AND GOD HAS SUBJECTED SPIRITUAL POWERS TO HIM.
COMING NEXT:
PART 16 — “THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT”
DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 TEACH THAT OUR CONSCIOUS SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE?
Ecclesiastes says:
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7, KJV
Many people interpret this as:
THE BODY RETURNS TO THE EARTH.
↓
THE CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN.
But is that what Solomon actually says?
To understand this verse, we need to return to the creation of Adam:
“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.”
— Genesis 2:7, KJV
Notice something extremely important:
God did not place a “living soul” inside Adam.
Rather:
DUST
THE BREATH OF LIFE FROM GOD
=
“MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
Could Ecclesiastes 12:7 therefore describe the reversal of the creation process?
That is what we will investigate in Part 16.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 16 — “THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT”
DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 TEACH THAT OUR CONSCIOUS SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
One of the most frequently quoted verses in discussions about life after death is Ecclesiastes 12:7:
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7, KJV
Many Christians have been taught to understand this verse like this:
THE BODY DIES.
↓
THE BODY RETURNS TO THE EARTH.
↓
THE IMMORTAL SOUL LEAVES THE BODY.
↓
THE CONSCIOUS PERSON GOES TO GOD IN HEAVEN.
But stop and read the verse again.
Does Solomon actually say:
“THE IMMORTAL SOUL SHALL RETURN TO HEAVEN”?
No.
He says:
“THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”
That raises an important question:
WHAT IS THIS “SPIRIT” THAT GOD GAVE?
To answer that question, we need to go back to the beginning — to the creation of Adam.
QUICK FACT 124 — GOD FORMED MAN FROM THE DUST OF THE EARTH
Genesis tells us:
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground...”
— Genesis 2:7, KJV
Notice the first component:
DUST OF THE GROUND.
Adam's physical body was formed from the earth.
But something else was required for Adam to become a living being.
God then:
“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life...”
— Genesis 2:7, KJV
Now we have:
DUST OF THE GROUND
BREATH OF LIFE FROM GOD.
And what was the result?
“And man became a living soul.”
— Genesis 2:7, KJV
This is extremely important.
QUICK FACT 125 — ADAM “BECAME” A LIVING SOUL
Genesis does NOT say:
“God created Adam's body and then placed an immortal soul inside it.”
Instead it says:
“MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
The Hebrew word translated “soul” is:
NEPHESH.
The verse therefore describes Adam himself as becoming a living being or living soul.
The pattern is:
BODY FORMED FROM DUST
BREATH OF LIFE FROM GOD
=
A LIVING SOUL.
Adam did not merely:
HAVE
a living soul.
Adam:
BECAME
a living soul.
That distinction is extremely important when investigating the biblical meaning of death.
QUICK FACT 126 — ANIMALS ARE ALSO CALLED “LIVING SOULS” IN THE HEBREW TEXT
This fact is sometimes overlooked.
The Hebrew word:
NEPHESH
is not restricted to human beings.
Genesis uses the same Hebrew word for living creatures.
For example, Genesis 1:20 speaks of:
“the moving creature that hath life.”
— Genesis 1:20, KJV
The underlying Hebrew expression includes:
NEPHESH CHAYYAH
which can be translated:
LIVING CREATURE
or:
LIVING SOUL.
Genesis 1:24 similarly speaks of:
“the living creature after his kind.”
— Genesis 1:24, KJV
Again, the Hebrew includes:
NEPHESH.
Therefore the Hebrew word translated:
“SOUL”
does not inherently mean:
AN IMMATERIAL, IMMORTAL, CONSCIOUS PERSON THAT CAN NEVER DIE.
Depending upon its context, it can refer to:
A LIVING CREATURE.
A LIVING BEING.
A PERSON.
OR LIFE.
QUICK FACT 127 — THE “BREATH OF LIFE” COMES FROM GOD
Genesis says God:
“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”
— Genesis 2:7, KJV
Life therefore originates with:
GOD.
God is the source and giver of life.
Paul later declared:
“He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.”
— Acts 17:25, KJV
Job similarly says:
“The spirit of God hath made me,
and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”
— Job 33:4, KJV
Notice the connection:
GOD
↓
BREATH
↓
LIFE.
This becomes extremely important when we return to Ecclesiastes 12:7.
If God is the One who:
GIVES LIFE,
then the statement that the spirit:
“SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT”
does not automatically mean that a conscious immortal soul travels to heaven.
We must first determine what God originally:
“GAVE.”
QUICK FACT 128 — DEATH REVERSES THE CREATION PROCESS
Now compare Genesis 2:7 with Ecclesiastes 12:7.
AT CREATION:
God forms man from:
DUST OF THE EARTH.
↓
God gives:
THE BREATH OF LIFE.
↓
The result:
“MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
Now compare death:
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7, KJV
The parallel is striking.
CREATION:
DUST
LIFE FROM GOD
=
LIVING PERSON.
DEATH:
THE BODY
↓
RETURNS TO DUST.
THE LIFE-SPIRIT GIVEN BY GOD
↓
RETURNS TO GOD.
The creation process is reversed.
This does not require the conclusion that a fully conscious immortal person leaves the body and travels to heaven.
Instead, it can naturally describe the ending of the life God had given.
THE QUESTION WE MUST NOW ANSWER
Can we find other Scriptures describing this same process?
Yes.
And they are extremely important.
Psalm 104 describes God taking away the creature's breath:
“Thou takest away their breath, they die,
and return to their dust.”
— Psalm 104:29, KJV
And Psalm 146 goes even further:
“His breath goeth forth,
he returneth to his earth;
in that very day his thoughts perish.”
— Psalm 146:4, KJV
That final statement is especially important:
“HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
If a conscious immortal person leaves the body and continues thinking somewhere else, why does Scripture say that in the day of death:
“HIS THOUGHTS PERISH”?
That is where we will continue.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 16 — PART TWO
In Part Two we will examine:
PSALM 104 — “THOU TAKEST AWAY THEIR BREATH, THEY DIE.”
PSALM 146 — “IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
ECCLESIASTES 9 — “THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
WHAT THE WORD “SPIRIT” DOES — AND DOES NOT — PROVE.
WHY ECCLESIASTES 12:7 DOES NOT SAY:
“THE IMMORTAL SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN.”
And finally:
WHY THE GREAT BIBLICAL HOPE IS NOT AN IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPING FROM THE BODY, BUT:
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 16 — “THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT”
DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 TEACH THAT OUR CONSCIOUS SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we discovered that Genesis describes the creation of Adam like this:
DUST OF THE EARTH
BREATH OF LIFE FROM GOD
=
“MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
— Genesis 2:7
Then Ecclesiastes describes death:
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7, KJV
This appears to describe a reversal of the creation process.
But other Scriptures make this picture even clearer.
QUICK FACT 129 — PSALM 104 DESCRIBES THE SAME PROCESS
Psalm 104 speaks about the death of living creatures:
“Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled:
thou takest away their breath, they die,
and return to their dust.”
— Psalm 104:29, KJV
Notice the sequence:
GOD TAKES AWAY THEIR BREATH.
↓
THEY DIE.
↓
THEY RETURN TO THEIR DUST.
The next verse says:
“Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created...”
— Psalm 104:30, KJV
Again we find the relationship between:
GOD
↓
SPIRIT/BREATH
↓
LIFE.
When God gives life:
THE CREATURE LIVES.
When the life-giving breath is taken away:
THE CREATURE DIES.
This closely parallels Ecclesiastes 12:7.
QUICK FACT 130 — “IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS PERISH”
Psalm 146 gives us an even more striking statement:
“His breath goeth forth,
he returneth to his earth;
in that very day his thoughts perish.”
— Psalm 146:4, KJV
Notice what happens:
HIS BREATH GOES FORTH.
↓
HE RETURNS TO THE EARTH.
↓
“IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
This is extremely important for our investigation.
If death meant:
THE BODY DIES
BUT:
THE CONSCIOUS PERSON CONTINUES THINKING, SPEAKING AND EXPERIENCING LIFE IN HEAVEN OR HADES,
why would Scripture say:
“IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS PERISH”?
The verse naturally fits the biblical description of death as an unconscious condition awaiting resurrection.
QUICK FACT 131 — ECCLESIASTES ITSELF SAYS “THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING”
We should allow Ecclesiastes to help interpret Ecclesiastes.
Earlier Solomon writes:
“For the living know that they shall die:
but the dead know not any thing...”
— Ecclesiastes 9:5, KJV
Notice the contrast:
THE LIVING:
KNOW.
THE DEAD:
“KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
Solomon continues:
“Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished...”
— Ecclesiastes 9:6, KJV
Again, this does not describe people continuing a conscious existence somewhere else.
It describes the end of their present conscious participation in life.
QUICK FACT 132 — THERE IS “NO KNOWLEDGE” IN THE GRAVE
Ecclesiastes makes the point even stronger:
“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.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:10, KJV
Notice:
NO WORK.
NO DEVICE.
NO KNOWLEDGE.
NO WISDOM.
IN:
“THE GRAVE, WHITHER THOU GOEST.”
Therefore, when Ecclesiastes later says:
“THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT,”
we should not make that statement contradict what the same book has already told us:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
QUICK FACT 133 — ECCLESIASTES SAYS “SPIRIT,” NOT “IMMORTAL SOUL”
This distinction is crucial.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 says:
“THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”
It does NOT say:
“THE IMMORTAL SOUL SHALL RETURN TO HEAVEN.”
It does NOT say:
“THE CONSCIOUS PERSON SHALL CONTINUE LIVING WITH GOD.”
And it does NOT say:
“THE DEAD REMAIN CONSCIOUS.”
Those ideas must not simply be inserted into the verse.
The question is:
WHAT DID GOD GIVE?
Genesis tells us that God:
“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”
And:
“MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
— Genesis 2:7, KJV
Therefore a straightforward biblical picture is:
GOD GIVES LIFE.
↓
MAN BECOMES A LIVING BEING.
↓
MAN DIES.
↓
THE BODY RETURNS TO DUST.
↓
THE LIFE-SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.
QUICK FACT 134 — THE VERSE IS NOT LIMITED TO SAVED PEOPLE
There is another important problem with interpreting Ecclesiastes 12:7 as:
“THE CHRISTIAN'S CONSCIOUS SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN.”
The verse does not say:
“THE SPIRIT OF THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD.”
It simply describes what happens when a human being dies:
“The spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
Therefore, if “spirit” means the fully conscious individual, we would have to ask:
DOES EVERY PERSON GO CONSCIOUSLY TO GOD AT DEATH?
THE RIGHTEOUS?
THE UNRIGHTEOUS?
THE BELIEVER?
THE UNBELIEVER?
But this is not the traditional doctrine normally being defended with this verse.
The simpler explanation is that what returns to God is what God originally gave:
LIFE.
QUICK FACT 135 — THE DEAD PERSON STILL NEEDS A RESURRECTION
If believers were already enjoying complete immortal life immediately after death, we would need to ask:
WHY IS RESURRECTION SO CENTRAL TO THE NEW TESTAMENT?
Jesus said:
“The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth...”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
Notice where Jesus directs our attention:
“IN THE GRAVES.”
And what happens?
THEY:
“COME FORTH.”
Paul similarly says:
“The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
The Christian hope is repeatedly directed toward:
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
AND THE GIFT OF IMMORTALITY.
QUICK FACT 136 — IMMORTALITY IS SOMETHING THE MORTAL MUST “PUT ON”
Paul says:
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
Notice carefully:
“THIS MORTAL”
must:
“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
If human beings already possessed an inherently immortal soul that could never die, this language would require explanation.
Paul instead places the transformation into immortality in the context of:
THE RESURRECTION.
THE LAST TRUMPET.
THE DEAD BEING RAISED.
— 1 Corinthians 15:52–54
Therefore the biblical hope is not simply:
MY IMMORTAL SOUL WILL ESCAPE MY BODY WHEN I DIE.
It is:
GOD WILL RAISE THE DEAD
AND:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
PART 16 — FINAL CONCLUSION
Does Ecclesiastes 12:7 teach that a conscious immortal soul leaves the body and immediately goes to heaven?
The verse does not say that.
Instead, when we compare Scripture with Scripture, we find a remarkably consistent pattern.
AT CREATION:
GOD FORMED MAN FROM:
THE DUST.
↓
GOD GAVE:
THE BREATH OF LIFE.
↓
“MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
— Genesis 2:7
AT DEATH:
“THE DUST RETURN TO THE EARTH AS IT WAS.”
↓
“THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7
Psalm 146 adds:
“HIS BREATH GOETH FORTH.”
↓
“HE RETURNETH TO HIS EARTH.”
↓
“IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS PERISH.”
Ecclesiastes adds:
“THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANY THING.”
And:
There is:
“NO... KNOWLEDGE, NOR WISDOM, IN THE GRAVE.”
Then the New Testament gives us the magnificent hope:
THE DEAD WILL NOT REMAIN DEAD FOREVER.
Jesus said:
“ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE,
AND SHALL COME FORTH.”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
Paul says:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
And at the resurrection:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN IS:
GOD GIVES LIFE.
↓
MAN BECOMES A LIVING SOUL.
↓
MAN DIES.
↓
THE BODY RETURNS TO DUST.
↓
THE LIFE-SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.
↓
THE DEAD SLEEP.
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
↓
GOD'S PEOPLE RECEIVE IMMORTALITY.
The great Christian hope is therefore not:
AN IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPING FROM A DEAD BODY.
The great Christian hope is:
RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.
COMING NEXT:
PART 17 — WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY MEAN BY “SOUL”?
IS THE HUMAN SOUL IMMORTAL?
This takes us to one of the most important questions in our entire investigation.
Millions of Christians have heard the expression:
“THE IMMORTAL SOUL.”
But does the Bible itself actually teach that the human soul is naturally immortal?
We will investigate:
NEPHESH — THE HEBREW WORD TRANSLATED “SOUL.”
PSYCHĒ — THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED “SOUL.”
WHY ADAM “BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
WHY ANIMALS ARE ALSO CALLED LIVING CREATURES USING THE SAME HEBREW WORD.
WHETHER A “SOUL” CAN DIE.
EZEKIEL'S EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT:
“THE SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT SHALL DIE.”
And finally:
WHO DOES THE BIBLE SAY POSSESSES IMMORTALITY?
Paul writes concerning God:
“WHO ONLY HATH IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Timothy 6:16, KJV
And concerning mortal believers:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
If immortality is something mortal human beings must one day:
“PUT ON,”
then we need to ask a very important question:
WERE HUMAN SOULS REALLY IMMORTAL ALL ALONG?
That is what we will investigate next.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 17 — WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY MEAN BY “SOUL”?
IS THE HUMAN SOUL IMMORTAL?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
For centuries, millions of Christians have been taught that every human being possesses an:
“IMMORTAL SOUL.”
According to this teaching, the physical body can die, but the real person — the immortal soul — cannot die.
At death, this soul supposedly leaves the body and continues consciously living either:
IN HEAVEN
or:
IN HADES.
But there is a fundamental question we must ask:
DOES THE BIBLE ACTUALLY TEACH THAT THE HUMAN SOUL IS INHERENTLY IMMORTAL?
Does Scripture ever clearly say:
“EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS AN IMMORTAL SOUL”?
To answer this fairly, we need to examine what the Bible itself means by:
“SOUL.”
We must examine:
NEPHESH — the Hebrew word commonly translated “soul.”
PSYCHĒ — the Greek word commonly translated “soul.”
THE CREATION OF ADAM.
ANIMALS DESCRIBED WITH THE SAME HEBREW WORD.
SOULS THAT CAN DIE.
And the Bible's teaching about:
IMMORTALITY.
QUICK FACT 137 — ADAM DID NOT RECEIVE A LIVING SOUL; ADAM “BECAME” A LIVING SOUL
We begin again with one of the most important verses in this entire investigation:
“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.”
— Genesis 2:7, KJV
Notice exactly what Scripture says.
It does NOT say:
GOD FORMED ADAM'S BODY
↓
THEN GOD PLACED AN IMMORTAL SOUL INSIDE THE BODY.
Instead:
GOD FORMED MAN FROM THE DUST.
↓
GOD BREATHED INTO HIM THE BREATH OF LIFE.
↓
“MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
Adam himself:
BECAME
a living soul.
This is a very different picture from the idea that Adam's body merely contained a separate immortal person inside it.
QUICK FACT 138 — THE HEBREW WORD TRANSLATED “SOUL” IS NEPHESH
The Hebrew word translated:
“SOUL”
in Genesis 2:7 is:
NEPHESH.
This word has a broad range of meanings in the Old Testament.
Depending upon context, it can refer to:
A PERSON.
A LIVING BEING.
A CREATURE.
A LIFE.
ONESELF.
OR A SOUL.
Therefore we should not automatically define:
NEPHESH
as:
“AN IMMATERIAL AND IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS ENTITY THAT CAN NEVER DIE.”
The word itself does not carry that definition automatically.
Its meaning must be determined from how Scripture uses it.
QUICK FACT 139 — ANIMALS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED AS “LIVING NEPHESH”
This is extremely important.
The Hebrew word:
NEPHESH
is not used exclusively for humans.
Before Adam was created, Genesis already uses it for animals.
Genesis 1:20 speaks of:
“the moving creature that hath life.”
— Genesis 1:20, KJV
The Hebrew includes the expression:
NEPHESH CHAYYAH.
Genesis 1:24 likewise says:
“Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind...”
— Genesis 1:24, KJV
Again:
NEPHESH CHAYYAH.
The KJV translates the expression differently depending upon the context.
For Adam:
“LIVING SOUL.”
For animals:
“LIVING CREATURE.”
But the underlying Hebrew terminology overlaps.
Therefore:
NEPHESH
cannot by itself mean:
“THE IMMORTAL SPIRITUAL PART OF A HUMAN BEING THAT SURVIVES DEATH.”
Animals are also described with this word.
QUICK FACT 140 — “SOUL” CAN SIMPLY MEAN A PERSON
The Bible frequently uses “soul” in a way that simply means:
PERSON.
For example:
“All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt... were threescore and six.”
— Genesis 46:26, KJV
This means:
SIXTY-SIX PEOPLE.
It does not mean sixty-six invisible immortal entities arrived separately from their bodies.
Similarly, Acts says concerning those who accepted Peter's message:
“There were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
— Acts 2:41, KJV
Again:
THREE THOUSAND SOULS
means:
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE.
Therefore biblical usage itself warns us against automatically interpreting every occurrence of:
“SOUL”
as:
“IMMORTAL DISEMBODIED SPIRIT.”
QUICK FACT 141 — THE BIBLE CAN SPEAK OF A “DEAD SOUL”
Here is something especially important.
The Hebrew word:
NEPHESH
can even be used in connection with a dead person.
For example, Numbers 6:6 says:
“He shall come at no dead body.”
— KJV
The Hebrew expression contains:
NEPHESH.
Likewise Numbers 19:13 refers to touching:
“the dead body of any man that is dead.”
— KJV
Again, the underlying Hebrew uses:
NEPHESH.
This is significant.
If NEPHESH inherently meant:
“AN IMMORTAL SOUL THAT CANNOT DIE,”
then describing a dead person using the same word would be very difficult to explain.
Instead, the biblical usage makes sense when NEPHESH can refer to:
THE PERSON.
THE LIFE.
THE LIVING BEING.
OR, IN SOME CONTEXTS, THE DEAD PERSON.
QUICK FACT 142 — THE BIBLE EXPLICITLY SAYS A “SOUL” CAN DIE
Now we reach one of the clearest statements in Scripture.
Ezekiel says:
“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.”
— Ezekiel 18:4, KJV
Read those final words carefully:
“THE SOUL THAT SINNETH,
IT SHALL DIE.”
Later in the same chapter Ezekiel repeats:
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
— Ezekiel 18:20, KJV
This presents a serious problem for the claim that:
THE HUMAN SOUL IS INHERENTLY IMMORTAL AND CANNOT DIE.
Scripture itself says:
“THE SOUL...
SHALL DIE.”
QUICK FACT 143 — JESUS SAID GOD CAN DESTROY BOTH “SOUL AND BODY”
Jesus gives us another important statement:
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:
but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
— Matthew 10:28, KJV
This verse is sometimes used to prove that the soul is immortal because human beings can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
But notice what Jesus says next.
God is able to:
“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY.”
Whatever precise distinction Jesus is making between body and soul in this passage, He does NOT say:
“THE SOUL IS INDESTRUCTIBLE.”
He says God can:
“DESTROY”
it.
Therefore Matthew 10:28 cannot simply be turned into:
“THE SOUL CAN NEVER DIE.”
Jesus' own words prevent that conclusion.
QUICK FACT 144 — WHERE DOES THE BIBLE ACTUALLY PLACE IMMORTALITY?
This brings us to a crucial distinction.
The Bible certainly teaches:
IMMORTALITY.
But the question is:
WHO POSSESSES IT INHERENTLY?
And:
WHEN DO HUMAN BEINGS RECEIVE IT?
Paul writes concerning God:
“Who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto...”
— 1 Timothy 6:16, KJV
Notice:
“WHO ONLY HATH IMMORTALITY.”
The ultimate source of immortality is:
GOD.
Human beings do not possess independent, self-existing life.
Life comes from God.
AND WHAT ABOUT BELIEVERS?
Paul does not tell mortal Christians:
“Your bodies are mortal, but your souls are already immortal.”
Instead he says:
“This corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
Notice:
“THIS MORTAL”
must:
“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
That raises an enormous question:
IF HUMAN BEINGS ALREADY POSSESS INHERENT IMMORTALITY,
WHY MUST THE MORTAL:
“PUT ON IMMORTALITY”?
And when does Paul say this happens?
Not at death.
It happens in connection with:
THE LAST TRUMPET.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF GOD'S PEOPLE.
That is where we will continue.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 17 — PART TWO
In Part Two we will examine:
WHEN DO BELIEVERS ACTUALLY RECEIVE IMMORTALITY?
WHY PAUL SAYS GOD'S PEOPLE “SEEK FOR” IMMORTALITY.
WHY ETERNAL LIFE IS CALLED A “GIFT.”
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING MORTAL AND BECOMING IMMORTAL.
THE RESURRECTION AT THE LAST TRUMPET.
AND THE EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT WHEN:
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
Then we will answer the central question:
DOES THE BIBLE TEACH THAT EVERY HUMAN BEING ALREADY POSSESSES AN IMMORTAL SOUL?
Or does Scripture teach that human beings are mortal creatures whose hope of everlasting life depends entirely upon:
GOD,
JESUS CHRIST,
AND:
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 17 — WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY MEAN BY “SOUL”?
IS THE HUMAN SOUL IMMORTAL?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we discovered several important biblical facts.
Adam did not receive a “living soul.”
Adam:
“BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
— Genesis 2:7
The Hebrew word:
NEPHESH
can describe:
A PERSON.
A LIVING CREATURE.
A LIFE.
And even a dead person in certain contexts.
Most importantly, Scripture explicitly says:
“THE SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT SHALL DIE.”
— Ezekiel 18:4
We then discovered something equally important.
The Bible certainly teaches:
IMMORTALITY.
But it presents immortality as something mortal human beings must:
“PUT ON.”
So when does this happen?
QUICK FACT 145 — BELIEVERS ARE DESCRIBED AS “MORTAL”
Paul writes:
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body...”
— Romans 6:12, KJV
And:
“He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies...”
— Romans 8:11, KJV
Notice the word:
“MORTAL.”
Mortal means:
SUBJECT TO DEATH.
Paul does not describe human beings as naturally possessing independent immortality.
Human beings are mortal.
Their hope of everlasting life depends upon:
GOD.
QUICK FACT 146 — PAUL SAYS BELIEVERS “SEEK FOR” IMMORTALITY
Romans contains another remarkable statement.
Paul speaks about those:
“Who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.”
— Romans 2:7, KJV
Notice:
“SEEK FOR...
IMMORTALITY.”
Why would believers need to:
SEEK FOR IMMORTALITY
if every human being already possessed immortality naturally?
Paul's language instead presents:
IMMORTALITY
and:
ETERNAL LIFE
as blessings sought from God.
QUICK FACT 147 — ETERNAL LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT
Paul writes:
“For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23, KJV
Notice the contrast:
SIN
↓
DEATH.
GOD'S GIFT
↓
ETERNAL LIFE.
Eternal life is not presented here as something every human being automatically possesses.
It is:
“THE GIFT OF GOD.”
And that gift comes:
“THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.”
This distinction is extremely important.
If every human being possessed an immortal soul that could never cease living, then in one sense every human being would already possess endless conscious existence.
But Paul contrasts:
DEATH
with:
ETERNAL LIFE.
QUICK FACT 148 — IMMORTALITY IS BROUGHT TO LIGHT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
Paul says that God's purpose:
“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.”
— 2 Timothy 1:10, KJV
Again we find:
LIFE
AND:
IMMORTALITY
connected with:
JESUS CHRIST
and:
THE GOSPEL.
The Christian hope is not based upon an indestructible life naturally belonging to every human being.
Our hope rests upon what God has accomplished through:
JESUS CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 149 — JESUS SAID ETERNAL LIFE IS SOMETHING GOD GIVES
Jesus prayed to His Father:
“As thou hast given him power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”
— John 17:2, KJV
Notice:
“GIVE ETERNAL LIFE.”
Then Jesus says:
“And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
— John 17:3, KJV
Again:
ETERNAL LIFE
is associated with:
THE ONE TRUE GOD
and:
JESUS CHRIST WHOM HE SENT.
It is something:
GIVEN.
QUICK FACT 150 — JESUS SAID THE DEAD WILL HEAR HIS VOICE AND COME FORTH
Jesus describes the future resurrection:
“Marvel not at this:
for the hour is coming,
in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth...”
— John 5:28–29, KJV
Notice where the dead are described as being:
“IN THE GRAVES.”
And what must happen?
THEY HEAR HIS VOICE.
↓
THEY:
“COME FORTH.”
This agrees with Daniel:
“Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake...”
— Daniel 12:2, KJV
Again:
SLEEP.
↓
AWAKENING.
DEATH.
↓
RESURRECTION.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 17 — PART THREE
In Part Three we will examine the decisive question:
WHEN DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE IMMORTALITY?
Paul gives us an extraordinarily clear sequence:
THE LAST TRUMPET.
↓
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
↓
GOD'S PEOPLE ARE CHANGED.
↓
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:52–53
And only after this happens does Paul declare:
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:54
If human beings already possess naturally immortal souls, why does Paul say that mortal believers must:
“PUT ON IMMORTALITY”?
That is where we will continue in Part Three.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 17 — WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY MEAN BY “SOUL”?
IS THE HUMAN SOUL IMMORTAL?
PART THREE
CONTINUED FROM PART TWO
In Part Two we discovered that Paul describes human beings as:
“MORTAL.”
He says believers:
“SEEK FOR...
IMMORTALITY.”
— Romans 2:7
And eternal life is described as:
“THE GIFT OF GOD.”
— Romans 6:23
Jesus Himself says eternal life is something He:
“SHOULD GIVE.”
— John 17:2
We then saw Jesus point toward the future resurrection:
“ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE,
AND SHALL COME FORTH.”
— John 5:28–29
Now we reach one of the strongest passages in the entire Bible concerning:
WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE RECEIVE IMMORTALITY.
QUICK FACT 151 — IMMORTALITY IS RECEIVED AT THE RESURRECTION
Paul gives us a detailed description of what happens when Christ returns:
“Behold, I shew you a mystery;
We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed,
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.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, KJV
Notice the sequence carefully:
SOME BELIEVERS ARE:
“ASLEEP.”
↓
THE LAST TRUMPET SOUNDS.
↓
THE DEAD ARE:
“RAISED INCORRUPTIBLE.”
↓
THE LIVING BELIEVERS ARE:
“CHANGED.”
Then Paul explains exactly what this transformation involves:
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
This is an extremely important statement.
WHEN DOES THE MORTAL PUT ON IMMORTALITY?
In Paul’s argument:
AT THE RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 152 — “THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY”
Read Paul’s words carefully:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, KJV
Paul does NOT say:
“THE IMMORTAL SOUL MUST LEAVE THE MORTAL BODY.”
He says:
“THIS MORTAL”
must:
“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
The biblical picture is therefore:
MORTAL
↓
IMMORTAL.
CORRUPTIBLE
↓
INCORRUPTIBLE.
DEAD
↓
RAISED.
This is transformation by the power of God.
Immortality is not presented here as something every human being naturally possessed from birth.
It is something the mortal must:
“PUT ON.”
QUICK FACT 153 — PAUL TELLS US WHEN DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY
Paul continues:
“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.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:54, KJV
Notice one extremely important word:
“THEN.”
WHEN:
“This corruptible shall have put on incorruption”
AND:
“This mortal shall have put on immortality”
THEN:
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
This places the victory over death at:
THE RESURRECTION AND TRANSFORMATION.
The victory is not:
THE SOUL NEVER REALLY DIED.
The victory is:
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
THE MORTAL BECOMES IMMORTAL.
AND DEATH IS DEFEATED.
QUICK FACT 154 — DEATH IS CALLED AN “ENEMY”
Paul says:
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:26, KJV
Notice:
DEATH IS AN:
“ENEMY.”
If death were simply the doorway through which an immortal soul immediately enters its greater conscious existence, Paul's description of death as an enemy would need explanation.
But Paul's resurrection teaching makes perfect sense:
DEATH DESTROYS HUMAN LIFE.
↓
GOD RAISES THE DEAD.
↓
GOD GIVES IMMORTALITY.
↓
DEATH ITSELF WILL ULTIMATELY BE DESTROYED.
This is why resurrection is such magnificent news.
QUICK FACT 155 — GOD IS THE SOURCE OF IMMORTALITY
Earlier we examined Paul's description of God:
“Who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto...”
— 1 Timothy 6:16, KJV
God possesses life inherently.
Human beings depend upon:
GOD
for:
LIFE.
RESURRECTION.
ETERNAL LIFE.
AND IMMORTALITY.
This agrees with Jesus' teaching:
“For as the Father hath life in himself;
so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.”
— John 5:26, KJV
The Father is the ultimate source of life.
And God has granted life and authority to His Son.
Our hope of eternal life therefore rests not upon some naturally indestructible part of ourselves.
Our hope rests upon:
GOD
AND:
HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 156 — ETERNAL LIFE IS PROMISED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
One of the most famous verses in Scripture says:
“For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.”
— John 3:16, KJV
Notice the contrast:
“PERISH”
OR:
“HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.”
Jesus does not say:
Everyone already possesses everlasting life because every human soul is immortal.
Instead:
EVERLASTING LIFE
is connected with:
GOD’S SON.
Paul likewise says:
“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23, KJV
Again:
ETERNAL LIFE IS:
“A GIFT.”
QUICK FACT 157 — THE BIBLE’S HOPE IS RESURRECTION, NOT ESCAPE FROM THE BODY
We can now understand why resurrection occupies such a central place throughout the New Testament.
Jesus said:
“I am the resurrection, and the life.”
— John 11:25, KJV
Paul proclaimed:
“There shall be a resurrection of the dead,
both of the just and unjust.”
— Acts 24:15, KJV
And:
“The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
The hope is repeatedly:
RESURRECTION.
Not merely:
AN IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPING FROM A DEAD BODY.
If the dead truly await resurrection, then the enormous importance Scripture places upon Christ's return and the resurrection becomes perfectly understandable.
PART 17 — FINAL CONCLUSION
So does the Bible teach that every human being possesses an inherently:
“IMMORTAL SOUL”?
Consider everything we have discovered throughout Parts One, Two and Three.
ADAM DID NOT HAVE AN IMMORTAL SOUL PLACED INSIDE HIM.
Rather:
“MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.”
— Genesis 2:7
THE HEBREW WORD:
NEPHESH
can refer to:
A PERSON.
A CREATURE.
A LIFE.
A LIVING BEING.
ANIMALS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED USING:
NEPHESH.
SCRIPTURE SAYS:
“THE SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT SHALL DIE.”
— Ezekiel 18:4
JESUS SAYS GOD CAN:
“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY.”
— Matthew 10:28
PAUL DESCRIBES HUMAN BEINGS AS:
“MORTAL.”
BELIEVERS:
“SEEK FOR...
IMMORTALITY.”
— Romans 2:7
ETERNAL LIFE IS:
“THE GIFT OF GOD.”
— Romans 6:23
AT THE LAST TRUMPET:
“THE DEAD SHALL BE RAISED.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:52
AND ONLY THEN:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53
THEN:
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:54
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN IS THEREFORE:
GOD IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE.
↓
GOD CREATES MAN.
↓
MAN BECOMES A LIVING SOUL.
↓
MAN IS MORTAL.
↓
MAN DIES.
↓
THE DEAD SLEEP.
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
↓
THE MORTAL PUTS ON IMMORTALITY.
↓
DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.
THE GREAT CHRISTIAN HOPE
The Christian hope is not founded upon the idea that human beings possess an indestructible immortal soul that can never die.
Our hope is far greater.
Our hope is:
THE ONE TRUE GOD WHO GIVES LIFE.
THE SON OF GOD WHOM HE RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
AND:
THE GIFT OF IMMORTALITY.
Paul finishes this magnificent resurrection chapter with:
“O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?”
— 1 Corinthians 15:55, KJV
And then:
“But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:57, KJV
THE VICTORY IS NOT THAT MAN NEVER REALLY DIES.
THE VICTORY IS THAT:
GOD RAISES THE DEAD.
COMING NEXT:
PART 18 — “TO DEPART, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”
DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:21–23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED?
Paul wrote:
“For to me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain.”
And:
“Having a desire to depart,
and to be with Christ;
which is far better.”
— Philippians 1:21, 23, KJV
At first sight this can sound like:
PAUL DIES.
↓
PAUL IMMEDIATELY GOES TO HEAVEN.
↓
PAUL IS CONSCIOUSLY WITH CHRIST.
But Paul does not actually explain the timing in those words.
So we must ask:
WHEN DID PAUL HIMSELF EXPECT TO BE GATHERED TO CHRIST?
Fortunately, Paul answers that question elsewhere:
“The Lord himself shall descend from heaven...”
↓
“The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
↓
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them...”
↓
“And so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, KJV
This gives us an important comparison:
PHILIPPIANS TELLS US PAUL DESIRED:
“TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
1 THESSALONIANS TELLS US ABOUT THE EVENT WHEN THE DEAD IN CHRIST ARE RAISED AND GOD'S PEOPLE WILL:
“EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
In Part 18 we will put Paul's own writings side by side and ask:
DID PAUL EXPECT CONSCIOUS LIFE IN HEAVEN IMMEDIATELY AT DEATH?
OR DID HIS HOPE REMAIN CENTRED UPON:
THE RETURN OF CHRIST
AND:
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 18 — “TO DEPART, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”
DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:21–23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
One of the most commonly quoted passages used to support the belief that Christians immediately go consciously to heaven when they die is Philippians 1:21–23.
Paul writes:
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ;
which is far better.”
— Philippians 1:21–23, KJV
These words are often interpreted like this:
PAUL DIES.
↓
PAUL’S CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL LEAVES HIS BODY.
↓
PAUL IMMEDIATELY GOES TO HEAVEN.
↓
PAUL IS CONSCIOUSLY WITH CHRIST.
But notice something important.
Paul does NOT actually say:
“WHEN I DIE, MY IMMORTAL SOUL WILL IMMEDIATELY GO TO HEAVEN.”
He says he desires:
“TO DEPART,
AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
There is no dispute that Paul wanted to be with Christ.
The real question is:
WHEN DID PAUL EXPECT TO BE WITH CHRIST?
Fortunately, we do not have to guess.
Paul discusses the return of Christ, resurrection and gathering of believers in considerable detail elsewhere.
Therefore we must allow:
PAUL
TO INTERPRET:
PAUL.
QUICK FACT 158 — PAUL DOES NOT MENTION AN “IMMORTAL SOUL”
Read Paul's words carefully:
“Having a desire to depart,
and to be with Christ;
which is far better.”
— Philippians 1:23, KJV
Paul does not mention:
AN IMMORTAL SOUL.
HEAVEN AT DEATH.
A DISEMBODIED CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE.
OR:
IMMEDIATE CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER DEATH.
Those ideas can be read into the statement, but they are not actually stated.
Paul simply expresses two things:
DEPARTING.
AND:
BEING WITH CHRIST.
Therefore the timing must be determined from Paul's wider teaching.
QUICK FACT 159 — “TO DIE IS GAIN” DOES NOT MEAN “DEATH IS CONSCIOUS LIFE IN HEAVEN”
Paul says:
“For to me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain.”
— Philippians 1:21, KJV
Why could death be “gain”?
Paul had suffered enormously for the gospel.
He describes:
IMPRISONMENTS.
BEATINGS.
DANGERS.
PERSECUTION.
HUNGER.
THIRST.
WEARINESS.
PAIN.
— See 2 Corinthians 11:23–27.
For Paul, death would end his suffering and faithful labour.
But his ultimate hope was not death itself.
His hope was what God would ultimately give him through:
JESUS CHRIST.
Paul elsewhere calls death:
“THE LAST ENEMY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:26
Therefore:
“TO DIE IS GAIN”
should not automatically be transformed into:
“DEATH ITSELF IS IMMEDIATE CONSCIOUS LIFE IN HEAVEN.”
QUICK FACT 160 — PAUL TELLS US WHEN THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL BE WITH THE LORD
This is one of the most important comparisons.
Paul writes:
“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.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
Notice:
JESUS DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THE TRUMPET SOUNDS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST:
“SHALL RISE FIRST.”
Then Paul continues:
“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.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, KJV
Notice Paul's conclusion:
“AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
This is enormously important when interpreting:
“TO DEPART,
AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
Paul clearly describes an event when believers will:
“BE WITH THE LORD.”
And that event involves:
THE RETURN OF CHRIST.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
AND:
THE GATHERING OF BELIEVERS TO CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 161 — PAUL'S HOPE WAS THE RETURN OF JESUS
Paul repeatedly directs believers toward the future return of Christ.
He writes:
“For our conversation is in heaven;
from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ.”
— Philippians 3:20, KJV
Notice carefully.
Paul does not say:
WE ARE WAITING TO DIE SO THAT WE CAN GO TO JESUS IN HEAVEN.
Instead:
“WE LOOK FOR THE SAVIOUR”
FROM:
HEAVEN.
The direction is important:
JESUS COMES FROM HEAVEN.
And then Paul tells us what Jesus will do:
“Who shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body...”
— Philippians 3:21, KJV
Again Paul's hope involves:
CHRIST'S RETURN.
↓
TRANSFORMATION.
↓
GLORY.
QUICK FACT 162 — PHILIPPIANS ITSELF POINTS TOWARD FUTURE TRANSFORMATION
This is particularly important because it comes from:
THE SAME LETTER.
Philippians 1 says:
“TO DEPART,
AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
But Philippians 3 says believers:
“LOOK FOR THE SAVIOUR,
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
And when He comes:
HE:
“SHALL CHANGE OUR VILE BODY.”
Therefore we should not isolate Philippians 1:23 from Philippians 3:20–21.
Paul's expectation remains centred upon:
THE COMING OF CHRIST
AND:
THE TRANSFORMATION OF GOD'S PEOPLE.
QUICK FACT 163 — PAUL DESCRIBES DEAD CHRISTIANS AS “ASLEEP”
Paul repeatedly uses the language of sleep for Christians who have died.
He writes:
“I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, KJV
Who are these people?
Paul explains:
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, KJV
Then:
“The dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, KJV
Paul therefore uses:
“ASLEEP”
and:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST”
for the same group.
The pattern is:
BELIEVERS DIE.
↓
THEY ARE DESCRIBED AS ASLEEP.
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
↓
BELIEVERS MEET THE LORD.
↓
“SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD.”
QUICK FACT 164 — FOR THE DEAD, THERE IS NO EXPERIENCED WAITING THROUGH CENTURIES
This helps us understand Paul's personal language.
Suppose Paul died and remained unconscious in the sleep of death until the resurrection.
From Paul's conscious perspective there would be no experienced passage of centuries.
His final conscious experience would be:
THIS PRESENT LIFE.
And his next conscious experience would be:
RESURRECTION
AND:
BEING WITH CHRIST.
Therefore Paul could naturally desire:
“TO DEPART,
AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”
without teaching that a conscious immortal soul lives in heaven during the interval between death and resurrection.
From the perspective of history:
PAUL DIES.
↓
CENTURIES PASS.
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
PAUL IS RAISED.
But from the perspective of someone unconscious in death:
DEATH.
↓
NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PASSING TIME.
↓
RESURRECTION.
↓
WITH CHRIST.
This provides a coherent way of understanding Paul's words without contradicting his detailed teaching concerning:
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISING AT THE RETURN OF JESUS.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 18 — PART TWO
In Part Two we will examine another extremely important passage from Paul:
2 TIMOTHY 4:6–8.
Near the end of his life Paul said:
“The time of my departure is at hand.”
But did Paul then say:
“I AM ABOUT TO RECEIVE MY CROWN IMMEDIATELY WHEN I DIE”?
No.
He said:
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me AT THAT DAY.”
— 2 Timothy 4:8, KJV
What:
“DAY”
was Paul waiting for?
Paul continues:
“And not to me only,
but unto all them also that love HIS APPEARING.”
That statement may provide one of the clearest explanations of what Paul expected after his:
“DEPARTURE.”
We will then bring together:
PHILIPPIANS 1.
PHILIPPIANS 3.
1 THESSALONIANS 4.
1 CORINTHIANS 15.
AND:
2 TIMOTHY 4.
And ask:
WHEN DID PAUL EXPECT TO RECEIVE IMMORTALITY, HIS REWARD, AND TO BE FOREVER WITH CHRIST?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 18 — “TO DEPART, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”
DOES PHILIPPIANS 1:21–23 TEACH THAT PAUL EXPECTED TO GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED?
PART TWO
IMPORTANT RESEARCH NOTE — WHY WE ARE NOW USING THE BEREAN LITERAL BIBLE
From this point forward in this study, our primary Bible translation will be the:
BEREAN LITERAL BIBLE — BLB.
Earlier parts of this study frequently quoted the King James Version — KJV.
However, because this investigation concerns important doctrinal questions involving:
DEATH.
THE SOUL.
THE SPIRIT.
HADES.
THE GRAVE.
RESURRECTION.
AND IMMORTALITY,
we want to examine the biblical text as closely as possible.
The KJV sometimes contains supplied words, later textual readings, archaic English, or translation choices that can potentially influence how a doctrinal passage is understood.
Therefore, from this point onward, we will normally quote from the:
BEREAN LITERAL BIBLE — BLB.
Where an important conclusion depends upon a particular word or expression, we will also examine, where necessary:
THE ORIGINAL HEBREW.
THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
AND:
THE MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE.
This does NOT mean that we will simply assume that every BLB translation choice must be correct.
Our ultimate purpose is not to defend:
THE KJV.
THE BLB.
OR ANY OTHER ENGLISH TRANSLATION.
Our purpose is to discover as accurately as possible:
WHAT DID THE BIBLICAL WRITERS ACTUALLY WRITE?
AND:
WHAT DOES THE BIBLICAL TEXT ACTUALLY TEACH?
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we examined Paul's statement:
“To live is Christ and to die is gain.”
And his desire:
“to depart and to be with Christ.”
— Philippians 1:21–23
The important question is not whether Paul wanted to:
BE WITH CHRIST.
Of course he did.
The important question is:
WHEN DID PAUL EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN?
Did Paul believe:
PAUL DIES
↓
HIS CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL IMMEDIATELY GOES TO CHRIST IN HEAVEN?
Or did Paul expect his reunion with Christ in connection with:
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
AND:
THE TRANSFORMATION INTO IMMORTALITY?
Paul's other writings provide important evidence.
QUICK FACT 165 — PAUL SPOKE ABOUT HIS COMING “DEPARTURE”
Near the end of his life Paul wrote:
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.”
— 2 Timothy 4:6, BLB
Notice Paul's language:
“THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE HAS COME.”
This is particularly important because it resembles his language in Philippians concerning his desire:
“TO DEPART.”
So what did Paul expect to happen after his departure?
Did he say:
WHEN I DIE I WILL IMMEDIATELY RECEIVE MY REWARD IN HEAVEN?
Let us continue reading.
QUICK FACT 166 — PAUL'S CROWN WAS “LAID UP” FOR HIM
Paul continues:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7, BLB
Paul knew his earthly ministry was coming to an end.
Then he speaks about his reward:
“Henceforth, the crown of righteousness is laid up for me...”
— 2 Timothy 4:8, BLB
Notice:
“LAID UP FOR ME.”
Paul certainly expected a reward.
But the crucial question is:
WHEN WOULD HE RECEIVE IT?
QUICK FACT 167 — PAUL CONNECTED HIS REWARD WITH “THAT DAY”
Paul continues in the same verse.
He says that the Lord, the righteous Judge, would award the crown to him:
“in that day.”
— 2 Timothy 4:8, BLB
This is enormously important.
Paul does not describe his reward as something he necessarily receives at the instant of death.
His attention is directed toward:
“THAT DAY.”
But what day?
The remainder of the verse gives us an important clue.
Paul says the reward is not for himself alone, but also for those who have loved:
HIS APPEARING.
— 2 Timothy 4:8
Therefore Paul's expectation is again directed toward:
THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 168 — PAUL'S “DEPARTURE” AND HIS REWARD ARE NOT PRESENTED AS THE SAME EVENT
Look carefully at Paul's sequence.
Paul says:
THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE HAS COME.
↓
I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.
↓
I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE.
↓
I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH.
↓
THE CROWN IS:
“LAID UP FOR ME.”
↓
THE LORD WILL AWARD IT:
“IN THAT DAY.”
↓
THAT DAY IS ASSOCIATED WITH:
CHRIST'S APPEARING.
This fits beautifully with Paul's teaching elsewhere.
His death was approaching.
But his hope reached beyond death toward:
THE APPEARING OF CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 169 — THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE WHEN JESUS DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN
Now compare this with Paul's very clear statement to the Thessalonians:
“because the Lord Himself with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
This gives us a clear sequence:
JESUS DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THE TRUMPET OF GOD SOUNDS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST:
“WILL RISE FIRST.”
Paul then explains what happens to the living believers:
“Then we, the living who remain, will be caught away together with them in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB
And Paul's conclusion is:
“and so we will always be with the Lord.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB
Notice those words:
“SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
This is one of the strongest passages for understanding Paul's desire:
“TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
QUICK FACT 170 — PAUL'S DETAILED TEACHING TELLS US HOW BELIEVERS COME TO BE WITH CHRIST
Compare the two passages.
PHILIPPIANS 1:
Paul desires:
“TO DEPART”
AND:
“TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
1 THESSALONIANS 4:
THE LORD DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
↓
THE LIVING ARE GATHERED WITH THEM.
↓
THEY MEET THE LORD.
↓
“SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
The second passage gives us details that the first passage does not.
Philippians tells us:
WHAT PAUL DESIRED.
1 Thessalonians tells us:
ABOUT THE EVENT WHEN THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE AND BELIEVERS WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.
Therefore we should be very cautious about inserting an intermediate conscious existence into Philippians 1 when Paul does not explicitly mention one there.
QUICK FACT 171 — DEATH DOES NOT REQUIRE A CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PASSING TIME
There is another important point.
If death is an unconscious sleep until resurrection, the dead person does not consciously experience the centuries passing.
From the standpoint of earthly history:
PAUL DIES.
↓
CENTURIES PASS.
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
PAUL IS RAISED.
↓
PAUL IS WITH CHRIST.
But from Paul's conscious experience:
HIS PRESENT LIFE ENDS.
↓
NO CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THE PASSAGE OF TIME.
↓
RESURRECTION.
↓
WITH CHRIST.
Therefore Paul's desire:
“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST”
does not require an immortal conscious soul living in heaven between:
DEATH
AND:
RESURRECTION.
PART 18 — FINAL CONCLUSION
Does Philippians 1:21–23 prove that Paul expected his conscious immortal soul to go immediately to heaven when he died?
Paul never explicitly says that.
He says:
“TO DIE IS GAIN.”
And:
“TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST.”
But when we allow Paul to explain Paul, we discover:
THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE.
↓
THIS HAPPENS WHEN:
THE LORD DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THE BELIEVERS ARE GATHERED TO HIM.
↓
AND:
“SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
Near the end of Paul's own life he again spoke about:
“THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE.”
But his crown remained:
“LAID UP FOR ME.”
And he associated receiving it with:
“THAT DAY”
and:
CHRIST'S APPEARING.
Therefore Paul's hope remained centred upon:
JESUS CHRIST.
↓
THE APPEARING OF CHRIST.
↓
THE RESURRECTION.
↓
THE REWARD.
↓
AND:
BEING FOREVER WITH THE LORD.
Philippians 1:23 does not require the doctrine:
THE BODY DIES
BUT:
THE IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS SOUL IMMEDIATELY GOES TO HEAVEN.
Instead, it fits naturally with Paul's repeated teaching:
THE BELIEVER DIES.
↓
THE DEAD AWAIT RESURRECTION.
↓
JESUS RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
↓
THE BELIEVER IS WITH CHRIST.
COMING NEXT:
PART 19 — “GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP”
DOES 1 THESSALONIANS 4:14 TEACH THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE ALREADY IN HEAVEN AND RETURN WITH JESUS?
This is another verse that can sound very different when read by itself.
Paul says that God:
“will bring with Him those having fallen asleep through Jesus.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, BLB
Some interpret this to mean:
THE DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE ALREADY ALIVE IN HEAVEN.
↓
JESUS RETURNS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THEIR CONSCIOUS SOULS COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN WITH HIM.
↓
THEY ARE REUNITED WITH THEIR BODIES.
But just two verses later Paul explicitly says:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
So what does:
“GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM”
actually mean?
Who is bringing whom?
And where are they being brought?
In Part 19 we will examine the Greek wording and the complete context of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 rather than building a doctrine from one isolated phrase.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 19 — “GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP”
DOES 1 THESSALONIANS 4:14 TEACH THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE ALREADY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is one of the most important passages in the entire Bible concerning:
DEATH.
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
THE RESURRECTION.
AND:
THE FUTURE HOPE OF CHRISTIANS.
Yet one particular statement in verse 14 is sometimes used to argue that dead Christians must already be consciously alive in heaven.
Paul writes concerning those who have:
“FALLEN ASLEEP.”
And then says that God will:
“BRING”
them with Jesus.
This is sometimes interpreted like this:
A CHRISTIAN DIES.
↓
THE CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN.
↓
THE SOUL LIVES IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS.
↓
JESUS RETURNS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THE DEAD CHRISTIANS COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN WITH HIM.
↓
THEIR SOULS ARE REUNITED WITH THEIR RESURRECTED BODIES.
But is that what Paul actually teaches?
There is an immediate problem with this interpretation.
Only two verses later Paul says:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
So we need to examine Paul's complete argument.
Where are the dead?
Why does Paul repeatedly call them:
“ASLEEP”?
Why must:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST”
RISE?
And what does Paul mean when he says God will:
“BRING”
them with Jesus?
QUICK FACT 172 — PAUL BEGINS BY TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE “FALLEN ASLEEP”
Paul introduces the subject by saying:
“But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those having fallen asleep...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, BLB
Notice Paul's terminology:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
Paul does not begin by saying:
“CONCERNING THOSE NOW LIVING IN HEAVEN.”
He calls the dead:
“ASLEEP.”
This is the same biblical picture we have encountered repeatedly throughout this investigation.
Daniel speaks about those who:
“SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH.”
— Daniel 12:2
Jesus said concerning Lazarus:
“LAZARUS HAS FALLEN ASLEEP.”
And then explained plainly:
“LAZARUS DIED.”
— See John 11:11–14
Paul therefore uses language that already has a strong biblical association:
DEATH
=
SLEEP.
QUICK FACT 173 — PAUL'S SUBJECT IS THE CHRISTIAN HOPE CONCERNING THE DEAD
Paul continues by explaining why he does not want Christians to remain ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep.
He does not want believers grieving:
“as also the rest, those not having hope.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, BLB
Why do Christians have hope concerning their dead?
Is Paul's answer:
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT REALLY DEAD — THEY ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY LIVING IN HEAVEN?
No.
Paul immediately directs the reader toward something else:
THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS.
QUICK FACT 174 — PAUL'S FOUNDATION IS THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
Paul says:
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, BLB
Notice Paul's foundation:
JESUS:
DIED.
↓
AND:
ROSE AGAIN.
Why is that important?
Because what God did for Jesus provides the foundation of Christian hope concerning those who have died.
The comparison naturally points toward:
DEATH
↓
FOLLOWED BY:
RESURRECTION.
Jesus died and rose.
And the Christian dead will also:
RISE.
Paul will explicitly say this only two verses later:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
QUICK FACT 175 — WHAT DOES “GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM” ACTUALLY SAY?
Now we reach the controversial statement.
The Greek text says:
“God ... those having fallen asleep through Jesus will bring with Him.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14
The important Greek verb is:
ἄξει — AXEI.
It comes from:
AGŌ.
Its basic sense is:
TO LEAD.
TO BRING.
Therefore the translation:
“GOD WILL BRING”
is perfectly legitimate.
We do NOT need to change the Greek to defend the resurrection of the dead.
The real question is:
FROM WHERE?
AND:
TO WHERE?
The verb itself does not automatically answer those questions.
This is extremely important.
The word:
“BRING”
does NOT by itself prove:
THE DEAD ARE CURRENTLY IN HEAVEN.
To determine what Paul means, we must continue reading.
QUICK FACT 176 — PAUL IMMEDIATELY EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS AT THE COMING OF JESUS
Paul continues:
“For this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we the living, remaining unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those having fallen asleep.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:15, BLB
Notice again:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
Paul's concern is whether Christians who remain alive until Christ's coming will somehow have an advantage over Christians who have already died.
Paul's answer is:
NO.
The living:
“SHALL NOT PRECEDE”
the sleeping dead.
Why?
Because something extraordinary happens first.
QUICK FACT 177 — “THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST”
Now Paul gives us the crucial statement:
“because the Lord Himself with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
Look carefully at the sequence:
THE LORD:
“WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.”
↓
THE COMMAND IS GIVEN.
↓
THE ARCHANGEL'S VOICE IS HEARD.
↓
THE TRUMPET OF GOD SOUNDS.
↓
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
This creates an obvious question for the interpretation that verse 14 describes conscious Christian souls descending from heaven.
If the Christian dead are already consciously alive with Jesus in heaven and coming down from heaven with Him:
WHY DOES PAUL SAY:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST”?
Where are they rising from?
The natural picture is:
THEY ARE DEAD.
↓
CHRIST RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
QUICK FACT 178 — PAUL DOES NOT SAY “THE LIVING IN HEAVEN WILL DESCEND”
This distinction deserves emphasis.
Paul could have said:
THE SOULS IN HEAVEN WILL DESCEND WITH JESUS.
But he does not.
Instead he says:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
The direction of the resurrection is:
UP.
THE DEAD:
RISE.
Only afterward does Paul describe the living believers joining them.
QUICK FACT 179 — THE LIVING AND THE RESURRECTED DEAD ARE THEN GATHERED TOGETHER
Paul continues:
“Then we the living who remain, will be caught away together with them in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB
Notice:
THE DEAD ARE RAISED.
↓
THE LIVING BELIEVERS REMAIN.
↓
THE TWO GROUPS ARE:
“TOGETHER.”
↓
THEY MEET:
THE LORD.
This is Paul's answer to the Thessalonians' concern about Christians who had died.
The dead believers have not lost their hope.
They have not missed Christ's coming.
Instead:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
And then:
THE RESURRECTED DEAD
AND:
THE LIVING BELIEVERS
are gathered:
“TOGETHER.”
QUICK FACT 180 — THEN PAUL SAYS “WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD”
Paul concludes:
“and so we will always be with the Lord.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB
Notice:
“AND SO...”
Paul has just described HOW this occurs:
JESUS DESCENDS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
↓
THE LIVING ARE CAUGHT AWAY TOGETHER WITH THEM.
↓
THEY MEET THE LORD.
↓
“AND SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
This is extremely important.
Paul does not direct grieving Christians toward an invisible conscious existence their dead relatives are supposedly already enjoying.
He directs them toward:
THE COMING OF JESUS.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
THE GATHERING TO CHRIST.
AND:
BEING FOREVER WITH THE LORD.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 19 — PART TWO
But we still need to answer the central difficulty:
IF THE DEAD ARE ASLEEP UNTIL THE RESURRECTION,
WHY DOES VERSE 14 SAY:
“GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP”?
In Part Two we will examine this expression more closely.
We will compare:
VERSE 14:
“GOD WILL BRING...”
WITH:
VERSE 16:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
We will also examine an important parallel:
2 CORINTHIANS 4:14.
Paul says that the One having raised Jesus:
“WILL RAISE US ALSO WITH JESUS AND WILL PRESENT US WITH YOU.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:14, BLB
That gives us another remarkable Pauline sequence:
GOD RAISED JESUS.
↓
GOD WILL ALSO:
RAISE US.
↓
GOD WILL:
PRESENT US.
Could Paul's statement that God will:
“BRING”
the sleeping believers with Jesus therefore concern what God does with them THROUGH RESURRECTION rather than describing where their conscious souls supposedly live before the resurrection?
That is what we will investigate next.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 19 — “GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP”
DOES 1 THESSALONIANS 4:14 TEACH THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE ALREADY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we discovered that Paul repeatedly describes dead Christians as:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, BLB
Paul then says:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
Only after their resurrection are the living believers:
“CAUGHT AWAY TOGETHER WITH THEM”
to meet the Lord.
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17, BLB
But we still need to answer the difficult statement in verse 14.
If the dead are asleep awaiting resurrection, why does Paul say that God will:
“BRING”
those having fallen asleep with Jesus?
QUICK FACT 181 — WE MUST NOT MAKE “BRING” MEAN “RAISE”
This is an important point of careful biblical research.
The Greek verb translated:
“WILL BRING”
is:
ἄξει — AXEI
from:
ἄγω — AGŌ.
Its basic meaning is:
TO BRING.
TO LEAD.
TO TAKE ALONG.
We should therefore NOT change Paul's wording and claim that:
“BRING”
actually means:
“RAISE.”
It does not.
Paul uses different language for resurrection in verse 16:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
Therefore we must preserve both statements:
GOD WILL:
“BRING”
THEM.
AND:
THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL:
“RISE.”
The question is:
HOW DO THESE TWO STATEMENTS FIT TOGETHER?
QUICK FACT 182 — VERSE 14 DOES NOT SAY THEY ARE BEING BROUGHT “FROM HEAVEN”
This is extremely important.
Paul says God will:
“BRING WITH HIM”
those having fallen asleep.
But Paul does NOT say:
“GOD WILL BRING THEIR IMMORTAL SOULS FROM HEAVEN.”
The words:
“FROM HEAVEN”
are not used in verse 14 to describe the location from which the sleeping believers are brought.
Neither does Paul mention:
THEIR IMMORTAL SOULS.
THEIR DISEMBODIED SPIRITS.
THEIR CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE IN HEAVEN.
OR:
THEIR SOULS RETURNING TO THEIR BODIES.
Those ideas have to be supplied by the interpreter.
Therefore the word:
“BRING”
cannot by itself prove that dead Christians are presently consciously alive in heaven.
QUICK FACT 183 — PAUL EXPLICITLY IDENTIFIES WHO DESCENDS “FROM HEAVEN”
Verse 16 tells us:
“because the Lord Himself with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
Notice carefully.
Paul explicitly says:
THE LORD
↓
“WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.”
But concerning the Christian dead he says:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
Paul therefore describes two movements:
JESUS:
DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST:
RISE.
This is important.
The passage does NOT explicitly say:
THE DEAD DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.
Instead:
THE LORD DESCENDS.
THE DEAD RISE.
QUICK FACT 184 — PAUL'S PARALLEL IN 2 CORINTHIANS CONNECTS RESURRECTION WITH BEING PRESENTED
Paul gives us an important comparison elsewhere:
“knowing that the One having raised up the Lord Jesus also will raise us up through Jesus and will present us with you.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:14, BLB
Notice Paul's sequence:
GOD RAISED JESUS.
↓
GOD:
“WILL RAISE US.”
↓
AND:
“WILL PRESENT US WITH YOU.”
This is important because it shows that Paul's expectation involves:
RESURRECTION
followed by:
BEING PRESENTED.
Being brought or presented with Christ therefore does not require the conclusion that believers were already consciously living in heaven before their resurrection.
QUICK FACT 185 — JESUS' RESURRECTION IS THE PATTERN
Return to Paul's opening statement:
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again...”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, BLB
Why does Paul begin with:
JESUS DIED
AND:
JESUS ROSE AGAIN?
Because Christ's resurrection is the foundation of Christian hope.
Paul makes the same argument in 1 Corinthians 15:
“But now Christ has been raised out from the dead, the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:20, BLB
Notice again:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
Then Paul tells us when those belonging to Christ follow Him in resurrection:
“But each in the own order: Christ the firstfruit, then those of Christ at His coming.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:23, BLB
Notice:
“AT HIS COMING.”
The sequence is:
CHRIST DIED.
↓
CHRIST WAS RAISED.
↓
BELIEVERS DIE AND ARE DESCRIBED AS:
“FALLEN ASLEEP.”
↓
CHRIST RETURNS.
↓
THOSE BELONGING TO CHRIST ARE RAISED.
QUICK FACT 186 — PAUL'S TWO RESURRECTION PASSAGES AGREE
Now compare Paul's teaching.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:
CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED.
↓
THE DEAD ARE DESCRIBED AS:
“FALLEN ASLEEP.”
↓
CHRIST IS THE:
“FIRSTFRUIT.”
↓
THOSE BELONGING TO CHRIST FOLLOW:
“AT HIS COMING.”
1 THESSALONIANS 4:
JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN.
↓
BELIEVERS ARE:
“FALLEN ASLEEP.”
↓
THE LORD DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
↓
THEY MEET THE LORD.
↓
“WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
The two passages fit together remarkably well.
Paul's hope is centred upon:
THE COMING OF CHRIST
AND:
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 19 — PART THREE
In Part Three we will complete the investigation.
We will examine:
WHY PAUL'S COMFORT TO GRIEVING CHRISTIANS IS THE RESURRECTION.
WHY HE REPEATEDLY DESCRIBES THE DEAD AS:
“FALLEN ASLEEP.”
WHY 1 THESSALONIANS 4 NEVER DESCRIBES IMMORTAL SOULS DESCENDING FROM HEAVEN AND REENTERING THEIR BODIES.
And finally:
HOW SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND:
“GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM”
WITHOUT MAKING THE GREEK SAY SOMETHING IT DOES NOT SAY?
We will then bring together the entire passage:
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13–18
and allow:
PAUL
TO EXPLAIN:
PAUL.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 19 — “GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP”
DOES 1 THESSALONIANS 4:14 TEACH THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE ALREADY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART THREE
CONTINUED FROM PART TWO
We have now established several important facts.
Paul calls deceased Christians:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
He says:
THE LORD WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.
And then:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
The passage therefore explicitly describes:
CHRIST DESCENDING.
↓
THE DEAD RISING.
↓
THE LIVING AND RESURRECTED BELIEVERS BEING GATHERED TOGETHER.
↓
THEY MEET THE LORD.
↓
AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE WITH HIM.
Now we can complete our investigation.
QUICK FACT 187 — PAUL’S COMFORT TO GRIEVING CHRISTIANS IS THE RESURRECTION
Paul concludes this remarkable passage with:
“Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:18, BLB
What are:
“THESE WORDS”?
They are the words Paul has just given them:
THE LORD WILL RETURN.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE.
↓
THE LIVING WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER WITH THEM.
↓
THEY WILL MEET THE LORD.
↓
THEY WILL ALWAYS BE WITH HIM.
This is Paul’s comfort for Christians grieving over believers who had died.
Notice what Paul does NOT say:
DO NOT WORRY.
THEIR IMMORTAL SOULS ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN.
He does not say:
THEY ARE WATCHING YOU FROM HEAVEN.
He does not say:
THEY HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR RESURRECTION LIFE.
Instead Paul directs their hope toward:
THE RETURN OF JESUS
AND:
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
QUICK FACT 188 — PAUL REPEATEDLY CALLS THE CHRISTIAN DEAD “ASLEEP”
This is not an isolated expression.
Throughout the passage Paul repeatedly describes them as:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, BLB
Again in verse 14:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, BLB
Again in verse 15:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:15, BLB
Paul uses the same language elsewhere:
“But now Christ has been raised out from the dead, the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:20, BLB
Therefore:
SLEEP
is not accidental language.
It is part of Paul’s repeated description of believers who have died.
QUICK FACT 189 — THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP ARE MADE ALIVE IN CONNECTION WITH CHRIST’S COMING
Paul explains the resurrection order:
“But each in the own order: Christ the firstfruit, then those of Christ at His coming.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:23, BLB
Notice the timing:
CHRIST:
THE FIRSTFRUIT.
↓
THEN:
“THOSE OF CHRIST”
↓
WHEN?
“AT HIS COMING.”
This agrees perfectly with 1 Thessalonians 4.
THE LORD RETURNS.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST RISE.
Paul’s resurrection teaching consistently points toward:
THE COMING OF JESUS.
QUICK FACT 190 — PAUL NEVER DESCRIBES IMMORTAL SOULS REENTERING THEIR BODIES
This is another important observation.
Read the entire passage:
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.
Paul never says:
THE IMMORTAL SOUL LEAVES THE BODY AT DEATH.
↓
THE SOUL GOES TO HEAVEN.
↓
THE SOUL CONSCIOUSLY LIVES WITH JESUS.
↓
THE SOUL DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN WITH JESUS.
↓
THE BODY IS RESURRECTED.
↓
THE SOUL REENTERS THE BODY.
That entire sequence is absent from Paul’s explanation.
What Paul actually describes is:
BELIEVERS:
FALL ASLEEP.
↓
THE LORD:
DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST:
RISE FIRST.
↓
THE LIVING AND THE RESURRECTED DEAD:
ARE GATHERED TOGETHER.
↓
THEY:
MEET THE LORD.
↓
AND:
“WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
We must therefore be extremely careful not to insert an entire doctrine between Paul’s words.
QUICK FACT 191 — WHAT, THEN, DOES “GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM” MEAN?
Now we can return to the difficult statement:
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also through Jesus God will bring with Him those having fallen asleep.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, BLB
We should acknowledge something honestly:
The expression:
“BRING WITH HIM”
has been interpreted in different ways.
The Greek verb:
AXEI
really does mean:
BRING
or:
LEAD.
We should not change it into:
“RAISE.”
But neither should anyone change it into:
“BRING THEIR IMMORTAL SOULS DOWN FROM HEAVEN.”
Paul does not say that either.
Therefore we must interpret verse 14 from the explanation that follows.
And what follows?
“THE LORD HIMSELF...
WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.”
↓
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
↓
THE LIVING ARE:
“CAUGHT AWAY TOGETHER WITH THEM.”
↓
THEY MEET:
“THE LORD IN THE AIR.”
↓
“AND SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, BLB
Whatever precise nuance we assign to:
“GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM,”
Paul’s explicit explanation includes:
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
QUICK FACT 192 — VERSE 14 CANNOT BE USED BY ITSELF TO PROVE CONSCIOUS LIFE IN HEAVEN
This is therefore the crucial conclusion.
Does verse 14 say:
THE DEAD ARE CONSCIOUS?
NO.
Does verse 14 say:
THE DEAD ARE LIVING IN HEAVEN?
NO.
Does verse 14 mention:
IMMORTAL SOULS?
NO.
Does verse 14 say:
SOULS WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN?
NO.
What does Paul actually call these people?
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
And what does Paul explicitly say happens to:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST”?
THEY:
“WILL RISE FIRST.”
Therefore verse 14 cannot legitimately be treated as though it explicitly says:
DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN.
It does not say that.
QUICK FACT 193 — PAUL’S ENTIRE ARGUMENT POINTS TOWARD A FUTURE EVENT
Now read the whole argument as one continuous sequence:
BELIEVERS HAVE:
“FALLEN ASLEEP.”
↓
THE CHRISTIANS WHO REMAIN ALIVE ARE GRIEVING.
↓
PAUL GIVES THEM HOPE.
↓
JESUS DIED.
↓
JESUS ROSE AGAIN.
↓
GOD WILL NOT FORGET THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP.
↓
THE LORD WILL:
“DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.”
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST:
“WILL RISE FIRST.”
↓
THE LIVING AND RESURRECTED BELIEVERS ARE:
“CAUGHT AWAY TOGETHER.”
↓
THEY:
MEET THE LORD.
↓
“AND SO WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
This is a resurrection passage from beginning to end.
PART 19 — FINAL CONCLUSION
Does:
“GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP”
prove that dead Christians are already consciously alive in heaven?
NO.
That conclusion goes beyond what the verse actually says.
Paul does not describe:
CONSCIOUS SOULS IN HEAVEN.
He describes:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
Paul does not say:
THE DEAD DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.
He explicitly says:
THE LORD:
“WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN.”
And then:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
Therefore the biblical sequence Paul actually gives us is:
DEATH.
↓
SLEEP.
↓
THE RETURN OF JESUS.
↓
RESURRECTION.
↓
THE GATHERING OF GOD’S PEOPLE.
↓
MEETING THE LORD.
↓
EVERLASTING LIFE WITH CHRIST.
And Paul concludes:
“Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:18, BLB
THIS IS THE CHRISTIAN COMFORT.
Not that death is merely an illusion.
Not that the dead never really die.
But that:
JESUS DIED.
↓
GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.
↓
JESUS WILL RETURN.
↓
THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE.
↓
AND:
“WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.”
COMING NEXT:
PART 20 — “THE SOULS OF THOSE HAVING BEEN SLAIN” UNDER THE ALTAR
DOES REVELATION 6:9–11 PROVE THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
John writes:
“I saw underneath the altar the souls of those having been slain because of the word of God...”
— Revelation 6:9, BLB
And these souls:
“cried out in a loud voice...”
— Revelation 6:10, BLB
At first sight, this appears to be powerful evidence for conscious souls after death.
But Revelation is filled with:
VISIONS.
SYMBOLS.
ALTARS.
SEALS.
HORSES.
BEASTS.
HORNS.
LAMPS.
AND OTHER APOCALYPTIC IMAGERY.
So we must ask:
ARE THESE LITERALLY DISEMBODIED HUMAN SOULS LIVING UNDER A PHYSICAL ALTAR IN HEAVEN?
Or is John presenting:
SYMBOLIC SACRIFICIAL IMAGERY?
There is an extraordinary clue all the way back in Genesis.
After Cain murdered Abel, God said:
“The voice of the blood of your brother is crying to Me from the ground.”
— Genesis 4:10
ABEL’S BLOOD:
“CRIED.”
Was Abel’s blood literally alive and consciously speaking?
No.
The imagery represented:
INNOCENT BLOOD
CRYING TO GOD FOR:
JUSTICE.
Could Revelation 6 be drawing upon the same biblical imagery?
The martyrs have been:
SLAIN.
Their “souls” appear:
UNDER THE ALTAR.
They cry for:
JUSTICE.
And remarkably, they are told to:
REST
for a little time longer.
Part 20 will therefore examine:
THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR.
THE SACRIFICIAL ALTAR.
THE BLOOD OF SACRIFICES.
ABEL’S BLOOD CRYING FROM THE GROUND.
THE GREEK WORD PSYCHĒ — “SOUL.”
THE SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE OF REVELATION.
AND:
WHY THESE MARTYRS ARE TOLD TO REST.
Does Revelation 6 overturn all the clear resurrection passages we have examined?
Or does its symbolism actually fit the same biblical story:
DEATH
↓
REST
↓
WAITING
↓
RESURRECTION
↓
AND FINAL VINDICATION?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 20 — “THE SOULS OF THOSE HAVING BEEN SLAIN” UNDER THE ALTAR
DOES REVELATION 6:9–11 PROVE THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
Revelation 6:9–11 is one of the strongest passages sometimes presented as evidence that dead Christians remain consciously alive after death.
John describes his vision:
“And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those having been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had upheld.”
— Revelation 6:9, BLB
Then John says:
“And they were crying in a loud voice, saying, ‘Until when, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood from those dwelling upon the earth?’”
— Revelation 6:10, BLB
At first sight, this can appear straightforward:
THE MARTYRS HAVE DIED.
↓
THEIR SOULS HAVE LEFT THEIR BODIES.
↓
THEIR SOULS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN.
↓
THEY SPEAK TO GOD FROM BENEATH THE ALTAR.
But is that really what John intends us to understand?
There are several major questions we must investigate.
Why are these “souls”:
UNDER AN ALTAR?
Why are they crying specifically for:
THEIR BLOOD
TO BE AVENGED?
Why does this imagery resemble the blood of Abel:
CRYING FROM THE GROUND?
Why are the martyrs then told to:
REST?
And perhaps most importantly:
SHOULD WE INTERPRET AN APOCALYPTIC VISION AS THOUGH EVERY DETAIL WERE A LITERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE DEAD?
QUICK FACT 194 — REVELATION IS A BOOK OF SYMBOLIC VISIONS
Before interpreting Revelation 6, we must remember what kind of book we are reading.
Revelation contains extraordinary visionary imagery.
John sees:
A LAMB HAVING SEVEN HORNS AND SEVEN EYES.
— Revelation 5:6
He sees:
FOUR HORSEMEN.
— Revelation 6:1–8
He sees:
STARS FALLING TO THE EARTH.
— Revelation 6:13
Later he sees:
A WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN.
— Revelation 12:1
A GREAT RED DRAGON WITH SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS.
— Revelation 12:3
A BEAST RISING FROM THE SEA.
— Revelation 13:1
And:
FROG-LIKE UNCLEAN SPIRITS.
— Revelation 16:13
Clearly, Revelation frequently communicates truth through:
SYMBOL.
VISION.
IMAGERY.
AND:
APOCALYPTIC LANGUAGE.
Therefore we cannot automatically assume that:
“SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR”
means John is giving us a literal geographical description of where conscious dead Christians presently live.
QUICK FACT 195 — WHY ARE THE “SOULS” UNDER AN ALTAR?
This is one of the first clues that the imagery may be sacrificial.
John does not merely see:
SOULS IN HEAVEN.
He specifically sees:
“UNDER THE ALTAR THE SOULS OF THOSE HAVING BEEN SLAIN.”
— Revelation 6:9, BLB
Why:
UNDER THE ALTAR?
In the Old Testament sacrificial system, blood was associated directly with the altar.
Leviticus says concerning the blood of the bull:
“And he shall pour out all the blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering...”
— Leviticus 4:7
Again:
“And all its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.”
— Leviticus 4:18
The blood of the sacrificed victim was poured:
AT THE BASE OF THE ALTAR.
Now look again at John's vision.
These people have been:
“SLAIN.”
And their “souls” are:
“UNDER THE ALTAR.”
This strongly suggests:
SACRIFICIAL IMAGERY.
The martyrs have given their lives because of:
“THE WORD OF GOD”
and:
“THE TESTIMONY.”
Their lives have been poured out in faithfulness to God.
QUICK FACT 196 — LEVITICUS CONNECTS THE “SOUL” WITH THE BLOOD
This becomes even more interesting when we examine the Old Testament meaning of:
SOUL.
Leviticus 17:11 says:
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood...”
The Hebrew word translated:
“LIFE”
is:
נֶפֶשׁ — NEPHESH.
This is the same Hebrew word frequently translated:
“SOUL.”
Therefore Scripture itself establishes a close connection between:
NEPHESH
LIFE
AND:
BLOOD.
Leviticus 17:14 similarly associates the life of flesh with its blood.
This becomes highly significant in Revelation 6.
John sees the:
“SOULS”
of people who have been:
“SLAIN”
under:
THE ALTAR.
And what are they crying about?
THEIR:
“BLOOD.”
This is exactly the kind of imagery we would expect from:
MARTYRS PRESENTED AS SACRIFICIAL VICTIMS.
QUICK FACT 197 — ABEL'S BLOOD ALSO “CRIED” TO GOD
There is an even more striking biblical parallel.
After Cain murdered Abel, God said:
“The voice of the blood of your brother is crying to Me from the ground.”
— Genesis 4:10
Think carefully about this.
ABEL WAS DEAD.
Yet God says:
“THE VOICE OF THE BLOOD OF YOUR BROTHER IS CRYING TO ME.”
Was Abel's literal blood:
CONSCIOUS?
THINKING?
SPEAKING?
PRAYING?
No such conclusion is necessary.
The language vividly communicates that:
ABEL HAD BEEN MURDERED.
↓
INNOCENT BLOOD HAD BEEN SHED.
↓
THAT BLOOD DEMANDED JUSTICE BEFORE GOD.
The blood:
“CRIED”
figuratively.
This provides an extraordinary biblical parallel with Revelation 6.
QUICK FACT 198 — THE MARTYRS ALSO CRY FOR THEIR BLOOD TO BE AVENGED
Now compare Genesis with Revelation.
GENESIS 4:
ABEL IS MURDERED.
↓
HIS BLOOD IS SHED.
↓
HIS BLOOD:
“IS CRYING TO ME FROM THE GROUND.”
↓
THE CRY DEMANDS DIVINE JUSTICE.
REVELATION 6:
THE MARTYRS ARE:
“SLAIN.”
↓
THEIR SOULS ARE:
“UNDER THE ALTAR.”
↓
THEY:
“CRY”
TO GOD.
↓
THEY ASK:
WHEN WILL YOU:
“AVENGE OUR BLOOD”?
The parallel is remarkable.
Both passages involve:
RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED.
SHED BLOOD.
A CRY TO GOD.
AND:
A DEMAND FOR JUSTICE.
Therefore Revelation 6 can naturally be understood as symbolic language representing the blood and lives of God's murdered servants crying out for:
VINDICATION
AND:
JUSTICE.
QUICK FACT 199 — THE GREEK WORD “PSYCHĒ” DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN AN IMMORTAL DISEMBODIED SOUL
Revelation 6:9 uses the Greek word:
ψυχή — PSYCHĒ.
It is commonly translated:
“SOUL.”
But just as the Hebrew:
NEPHESH
has a broad range of meanings, the Greek:
PSYCHĒ
does not automatically mean:
AN IMMORTAL, DISEMBODIED, CONSCIOUS ENTITY THAT SURVIVES DEATH.
Depending upon context, PSYCHĒ can refer to:
LIFE.
A PERSON.
ONESELF.
OR:
SOUL.
Jesus Himself uses PSYCHĒ in statements where it clearly concerns:
LIFE.
For example:
“For whoever might desire to save his life will lose it; but whoever will lose his life on account of Me will find it.”
— Matthew 16:25, BLB
The Greek word translated:
“LIFE”
here is:
PSYCHĒ.
Therefore we cannot simply reason:
REVELATION USES THE WORD “SOUL.”
↓
THEREFORE:
AN IMMORTAL DISEMBODIED PERSON MUST BE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE.
The Greek word itself does not prove that doctrine.
QUICK FACT 200 — REVELATION ITSELF USES “SOUL” FOR LIFE
This point becomes even stronger within Revelation itself.
Revelation 12:11 speaks about faithful believers who:
“did not love their life unto death.”
— Revelation 12:11, BLB
The Greek word translated:
“LIFE”
is again:
PSYCHĒ.
So within the very same book:
PSYCHĒ
can refer to:
A PERSON'S LIFE.
This gives us good reason to be cautious about automatically defining the:
“SOULS”
under the altar as:
IMMORTAL DISEMBODIED HUMAN BEINGS.
QUICK FACT 201 — THE MARTYRS HAVE BEEN “SLAIN”
John identifies these people as:
“THOSE HAVING BEEN SLAIN.”
— Revelation 6:9, BLB
They have suffered:
DEATH.
Their appearance beneath the altar fits the imagery of lives that have been:
POURED OUT.
SACRIFICED.
AND:
UNJUSTLY TAKEN.
Their cry represents God's remembrance of their blood and His coming judgment upon those responsible.
This is similar to Abel.
Abel was dead.
But his blood still:
“CRIED”
before God.
God had not forgotten:
ABEL.
And God has not forgotten:
THE MARTYRS.
Their blood demands:
JUSTICE.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 20 — PART TWO
But there is still another major difficulty we must examine.
John says these souls:
SPEAK.
They are given:
WHITE ROBES.
And they are told to:
“REST YET A LITTLE TIME.”
— Revelation 6:11
Does this prove literal consciousness?
Or are these additional elements of John's symbolic vision?
We will also ask an important question:
IF THESE ARE LITERALLY DISEMBODIED SOULS, WHY ARE THEY LITERALLY LIVING:
UNDER AN ALTAR?
And why would bodiless souls need:
WHITE ROBES?
Most importantly, Revelation itself later describes:
THE RESURRECTION
AND:
THE FINAL VINDICATION OF GOD'S PEOPLE.
In Part Two we will therefore examine:
THE WHITE ROBES.
“REST YET A LITTLE TIME.”
THE SYMBOLIC NATURE OF THE VISION.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A VISION AND A LITERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF THE DEAD.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE MARTYRS.
AND:
WHETHER REVELATION 6 REALLY TEACHES THAT HUMAN SOULS ARE NATURALLY IMMORTAL.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 20 — “THE SOULS OF THOSE HAVING BEEN SLAIN” UNDER THE ALTAR
DOES REVELATION 6:9–11 PROVE THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we discovered several important facts.
Revelation is filled with:
VISIONS.
SYMBOLS.
AND:
APOCALYPTIC IMAGERY.
The martyrs are described as:
“SLAIN.”
Their “souls” appear:
“UNDER THE ALTAR.”
And they cry concerning:
“OUR BLOOD.”
We also discovered the remarkable parallel with Abel.
After Abel was murdered, God said:
“The voice of the blood of your brother is crying to Me from the ground.”
— Genesis 4:10
Abel’s blood was not literally a conscious person speaking from the earth.
His shed blood symbolically cried to God for:
JUSTICE.
Could Revelation 6 be using similar imagery?
Let us continue.
QUICK FACT 202 — ARE THE SOULS LITERALLY LIVING UNDER AN ALTAR?
John does not merely say:
“I saw dead Christians alive in heaven.”
He says:
“I saw under the altar the souls of those having been slain...”
— Revelation 6:9, BLB
If this were intended as a completely literal description of the present location of dead Christians, we would also have to ask:
ARE DISEMBODIED HUMAN SOULS LITERALLY LIVING UNDER A PHYSICAL ALTAR?
Why would they be:
UNDER THE ALTAR?
The imagery makes considerably more sense when understood in connection with:
SACRIFICE.
SHED BLOOD.
MARTYRDOM.
AND:
THE CRY FOR JUSTICE.
The martyrs were slain because of their faithfulness to God.
Their lives had effectively been:
POURED OUT.
Their position beneath the altar therefore fits the sacrificial imagery of the vision.
QUICK FACT 203 — THE WHITE ROBES ARE ALSO PART OF THE VISION
John continues:
“And to each of them were given white robes...”
— Revelation 6:11, BLB
This raises another question.
If these are literally:
IMMATERIAL DISEMBODIED SOULS,
why would they require:
ROBES?
Revelation frequently uses clothing symbolically.
Later John says:
“And it was given to her that she should be clothed in bright, pure, fine linen; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
— Revelation 19:8, BLB
Revelation itself therefore shows that clothing can carry symbolic meaning.
White garments can represent:
PURITY.
VICTORY.
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
AND:
DIVINE VINDICATION.
Therefore:
WHITE ROBES
do not prove that disembodied souls are literally wearing physical clothing beneath a literal altar.
QUICK FACT 204 — THE MARTYRS ARE TOLD TO “REST”
Now notice what happens next.
They are told:
“that they shall rest yet a little time...”
— Revelation 6:11, BLB
The Greek verb comes from:
ἀναπαύω — ANAPAUŌ.
It carries the sense of:
REST.
CEASE.
HAVE RESPITE.
This is interesting because Scripture repeatedly associates death with:
REST
AND:
SLEEP.
Daniel was told:
“But you, go on to the end and rest; and you will arise for your inheritance at the end of the days.”
— Daniel 12:13, BLB
Notice the sequence:
DANIEL WILL:
REST.
↓
THEN:
“YOU WILL ARISE.”
↓
WHEN?
“AT THE END OF THE DAYS.”
This gives us an important biblical pattern:
REST.
↓
WAITING.
↓
RISING.
QUICK FACT 205 — DANIEL’S REST ENDS WITH HIS FUTURE RISING
Daniel 12:13 deserves careful attention.
Daniel is not told:
YOU WILL DIE.
↓
YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL WILL IMMEDIATELY RECEIVE YOUR INHERITANCE IN HEAVEN.
Instead he is told:
“YOU... REST.”
And then:
“YOU WILL ARISE FOR YOUR INHERITANCE.”
When?
“AT THE END OF THE DAYS.”
The sequence is:
DEATH.
↓
REST.
↓
THE END OF THE DAYS.
↓
RISING.
↓
INHERITANCE.
Therefore when Revelation's martyrs are told to:
“REST YET A LITTLE TIME,”
we should consider this wider biblical language before assuming that Revelation is teaching the natural immortality and conscious existence of the human soul after death.
QUICK FACT 206 — THE MARTYRS ARE STILL WAITING FOR FINAL VINDICATION
The martyrs cry:
“Until when, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood from those dwelling upon the earth?”
— Revelation 6:10, BLB
They are depicted as:
WAITING.
Their final vindication has not yet occurred.
They are told to:
“REST YET A LITTLE TIME.”
— Revelation 6:11, BLB
The vision therefore points toward something still:
FUTURE.
Its central themes are:
MARTYRDOM.
INJUSTICE.
SHED BLOOD.
WAITING.
DIVINE REMEMBRANCE.
AND:
FUTURE VINDICATION.
It does not need to be interpreted as a literal description of the conscious condition of every dead believer.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 20 — PART THREE
In Part Three we will complete this investigation.
We will examine:
THE MARTYRS AND THE RESURRECTION IN REVELATION 20.
WHY REVELATION 6 NEVER SAYS THAT THE HUMAN SOUL IS IMMORTAL.
THE PARALLEL BETWEEN THE MARTYRS AND ABEL’S BLOOD.
WHY SYMBOLIC APOCALYPTIC LANGUAGE SHOULD NOT OVERRIDE CLEAR RESURRECTION PASSAGES.
And finally:
DOES REVELATION 6 REALLY PROVE THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
Or is John presenting a symbolic picture of:
THE SHED BLOOD OF GOD’S MARTYRS
CRYING OUT FOR:
JUSTICE
AND:
FUTURE VINDICATION?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 20 — “THE SOULS OF THOSE HAVING BEEN SLAIN” UNDER THE ALTAR
DOES REVELATION 6:9–11 PROVE THAT DEAD CHRISTIANS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART THREE
CONTINUED FROM PART TWO
We have seen that the martyrs in Revelation 6 are presented through powerful sacrificial imagery.
They have been:
“SLAIN.”
Their “souls” are:
UNDER THE ALTAR.
Their:
“BLOOD”
cries for justice.
They receive:
WHITE ROBES.
And they are told to:
“REST YET A LITTLE TIME.”
— Revelation 6:9–11
Now let us compare this vision with what Revelation later says about the martyrs and:
RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 207 — REVELATION LATER CONNECTS THE MARTYRS WITH RESURRECTION
Revelation later returns to faithful people who were killed because of their testimony concerning Jesus and the word of God.
John says:
“And I saw the souls of those having been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God...”
— Revelation 20:4, BLB
Notice again the word:
“SOULS.”
But then something extremely important happens.
John says:
“and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
— Revelation 20:4, BLB
Then he explains:
“This is the first resurrection.”
— Revelation 20:5, BLB
Whatever interpretation one adopts concerning the chronology of Revelation 20, one fact is clear:
John explicitly connects these martyrs with:
LIVING
AND:
RESURRECTION.
This is extremely important when interpreting the souls under the altar in Revelation 6.
QUICK FACT 208 — REVELATION 6 NEVER SAYS THAT THE HUMAN SOUL IS IMMORTAL
Now consider what Revelation 6 does NOT say.
It never says:
THE HUMAN SOUL IS IMMORTAL.
It never says:
THE SOUL CANNOT DIE.
It never says:
EVERY DEAD PERSON REMAINS CONSCIOUS AFTER DEATH.
It never says:
AT DEATH THE SOUL LEAVES THE BODY AND GOES TO HEAVEN.
And it never says:
THESE MARTYRS ARE DISEMBODIED IMMORTAL SOULS LIVING CONSCIOUSLY IN HEAVEN WHILE WAITING TO REENTER THEIR BODIES.
Those ideas are not stated in the passage.
What John actually gives us is a vision containing:
AN ALTAR.
↓
MARTYRS WHO HAVE BEEN SLAIN.
↓
SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR.
↓
SHED BLOOD.
↓
A CRY FOR JUSTICE.
↓
WHITE ROBES.
↓
AND:
REST.
We must distinguish between:
WHAT JOHN ACTUALLY SAW IN THE VISION
and:
THE DOCTRINE SOMEONE MAY READ INTO THAT VISION.
QUICK FACT 209 — ABEL PROVIDES A POWERFUL BIBLICAL PARALLEL
Return once more to the murder of Abel.
God said to Cain:
“The voice of the blood of your brother is crying to Me from the ground.”
— Genesis 4:10
ABEL HAD BEEN:
MURDERED.
His:
BLOOD
had been shed.
And that blood:
“CRIED”
TO GOD.
Now compare Revelation 6.
THE MARTYRS HAVE BEEN:
“SLAIN.”
↓
THEIR BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED.
↓
THEY:
“CRY”
TO GOD.
↓
THEY ASK GOD TO:
“AVENGE OUR BLOOD.”
The parallel is striking.
GENESIS:
INNOCENT BLOOD CRIES FROM:
THE GROUND.
REVELATION:
THE LIVES OF THE SLAIN APPEAR:
UNDER THE ALTAR
and cry concerning:
THEIR BLOOD.
Both communicate the same great truth:
INNOCENT BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED.
↓
GOD KNOWS.
↓
GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN.
↓
THE BLOOD CRIES OUT FOR:
JUSTICE.
Abel's blood did not have to be literally conscious in order to:
“CRY.”
Therefore the fact that the martyrs “cry” in John's symbolic vision does not by itself prove that disembodied human souls are literally conscious after death.
QUICK FACT 210 — SYMBOLIC VISIONS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CLEARER BIBLICAL TEACHING
This is an important principle.
Revelation contains some of the most symbolic imagery anywhere in Scripture.
Therefore we should be extremely cautious about using one apocalyptic vision to overturn straightforward passages concerning:
DEATH.
SLEEP.
RESURRECTION.
AND:
IMMORTALITY.
Consider what we have already discovered throughout this study.
DANIEL describes dead people as those who:
“SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH”
and later:
AWAKE.
— Daniel 12:2
JESUS said concerning Lazarus:
“Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep...”
And then explained:
“Lazarus has died.”
— John 11:11–14
PAUL describes dead Christians as:
“THOSE HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:13, BLB
Then Paul says:
“THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16, BLB
And concerning immortality:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53
Therefore Revelation 6 should be understood within this wider biblical framework.
QUICK FACT 211 — THE VISION IS FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT JUSTICE
What is the actual question asked by the martyrs?
They do not ask:
HOW LONG MUST WE REMAIN AS DISEMBODIED SOULS?
They ask:
“Until when, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood from those dwelling upon the earth?”
— Revelation 6:10, BLB
The central issue is:
JUSTICE.
They were murdered because of their faithfulness to God.
Their blood was shed.
Their persecutors had apparently escaped judgment.
But God had:
NOT FORGOTTEN.
The symbolic cry announces:
THEIR BLOOD WILL BE AVENGED.
THEIR FAITHFULNESS WILL BE VINDICATED.
AND:
GOD'S JUSTICE WILL COME.
QUICK FACT 212 — THE MARTYRS ARE TOLD TO WAIT FOR A FUTURE COMPLETION
John says:
“And to each of them were given white robes; and it was said to them that they shall rest yet a little time...”
— Revelation 6:11, BLB
Why must they:
REST?
Because God's purpose has not yet reached its completion.
The vision therefore points forward.
There is still:
WAITING.
There is still:
REST.
There is still:
FUTURE JUDGMENT.
There is still:
FUTURE VINDICATION.
This is entirely compatible with the great biblical hope of:
RESURRECTION.
PART 20 — FINAL CONCLUSION
Does Revelation 6:9–11 prove that dead Christians are consciously alive as immortal souls in heaven?
The passage does NOT require that conclusion.
John is describing:
AN APOCALYPTIC VISION.
He sees:
MARTYRS WHO HAVE BEEN:
“SLAIN.”
↓
THEIR “SOULS” APPEAR:
UNDER THE ALTAR.
↓
THEY CRY CONCERNING:
“OUR BLOOD.”
↓
THEY RECEIVE:
WHITE ROBES.
↓
AND THEY ARE TOLD TO:
“REST YET A LITTLE TIME.”
The imagery strongly resembles:
SACRIFICE.
SHED BLOOD.
MARTYRDOM.
AND:
THE CRY FOR JUSTICE.
The extraordinary biblical parallel is Abel:
“THE VOICE OF THE BLOOD OF YOUR BROTHER IS CRYING TO ME FROM THE GROUND.”
— Genesis 4:10
Abel's blood was not literally a conscious being.
Yet Scripture says:
IT CRIED.
Likewise, Revelation can portray the lives and blood of God's murdered servants crying before Him without establishing the doctrine that every human being possesses an immortal conscious soul.
The central message of Revelation 6 is not:
THE DEAD ARE ALIVE.
The message is:
GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN HIS MARTYRS.
↓
THEIR BLOOD CRIES FOR JUSTICE.
↓
GOD WILL VINDICATE THEM.
↓
AND DEATH WILL NOT HAVE THE FINAL VICTORY.
Their ultimate hope remains:
RESURRECTION.
COMING NEXT:
PART 21 — “THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
DOES HEBREWS 12:22–24 PROVE THAT DEAD BELIEVERS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
Hebrews contains another challenging passage:
“But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem...”
— Hebrews 12:22, BLB
Then it mentions:
“the spirits of the righteous having been perfected.”
— Hebrews 12:23, BLB
This is sometimes interpreted to mean:
THE RIGHTEOUS DIE.
↓
THEIR CONSCIOUS SPIRITS GO TO HEAVEN.
↓
THEY ARE NOW LIVING IN THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
But notice something fascinating.
The writer tells the Christians reading the letter:
“YOU HAVE COME”
to:
MOUNT ZION
and:
“HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.”
These Christians were still:
ALIVE ON EARTH.
So had they literally travelled to heaven?
NO.
This immediately tells us that Hebrews 12 is describing something deeper than physical geographical location.
In Part 21 we will investigate:
MOUNT SINAI VERSUS MOUNT ZION.
THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
THE ASSEMBLY OF THE FIRSTBORN.
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED.”
JESUS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT.
AND:
THE RESURRECTION HOPE THROUGHOUT HEBREWS.
Once again we will ask:
WHAT DOES THE TEXT ACTUALLY SAY?
And equally importantly:
WHAT DOES IT NOT SAY?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 21 — “THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
DOES HEBREWS 12:22–24 PROVE THAT DEAD BELIEVERS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
Hebrews 12:22–24 is another passage sometimes used to support the belief that righteous people remain consciously alive after death.
The writer says:
“But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem...”
— Hebrews 12:22, BLB
Then he refers to:
“the spirits of the righteous having been perfected.”
— Hebrews 12:23, BLB
This can be interpreted to mean:
RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE DIE.
↓
THEIR CONSCIOUS SPIRITS LEAVE THEIR BODIES.
↓
THEY GO TO HEAVEN.
↓
THEY ARE NOW CONSCIOUSLY LIVING IN THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
At first sight, the expression:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
may appear to support this interpretation.
But once again we must ask:
WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE ACTUALLY SAY?
And:
WHAT IS THE COMPLETE CONTEXT?
There is an immediate clue.
The writer tells Christians who were still alive:
“YOU HAVE COME”
to:
MOUNT ZION
and:
“HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.”
Had these living Christians physically travelled to heaven?
Obviously not.
Therefore the language cannot simply be treated as a literal geographical description of where each group was physically located.
QUICK FACT 213 — HEBREWS CONTRASTS TWO MOUNTAINS
The argument begins before verse 22.
Hebrews first describes:
MOUNT SINAI.
The writer reminds his readers of the terrifying events surrounding the giving of the Law.
He speaks of:
A MOUNTAIN THAT COULD BE TOUCHED.
FIRE.
DARKNESS.
GLOOM.
A TEMPEST.
THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET.
AND:
A VOICE THAT TERRIFIED THOSE WHO HEARD IT.
— Hebrews 12:18–21
Then comes the contrast:
“But you have come to Mount Zion...”
— Hebrews 12:22, BLB
The argument therefore contrasts:
MOUNT SINAI
WITH:
MOUNT ZION.
SINAI represents the old covenant setting.
ZION represents the new covenant reality to which believers have now come through:
JESUS CHRIST.
This is confirmed later in the same passage when Jesus is identified as:
“THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT.”
— Hebrews 12:24, BLB
QUICK FACT 214 — THE WRITER SAYS LIVING CHRISTIANS “HAVE COME” TO HEAVENLY JERUSALEM
This is extremely important.
The writer says:
“But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem...”
— Hebrews 12:22, BLB
The Greek expression is:
προσεληλύθατε — PROSELĒLYTHATE.
It means essentially:
YOU HAVE COME.
YOU HAVE APPROACHED.
The writer is addressing:
LIVING CHRISTIANS.
Yet he says they:
“HAVE COME”
to:
HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
Therefore:
“HAVE COME”
cannot mean that their physical bodies or disembodied souls had literally travelled into heaven.
They remained alive on earth.
The writer is describing their:
SPIRITUAL.
COVENANTAL.
AND:
ESCHATOLOGICAL
relationship to the heavenly reality established through Christ.
QUICK FACT 215 — THE PASSAGE DESCRIBES A GREAT HEAVENLY ASSEMBLY
The writer continues by describing what believers have approached.
They have come to:
MOUNT ZION.
↓
THE CITY OF THE LIVING GOD.
↓
HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
↓
MYRIADS OF ANGELS.
↓
THE ASSEMBLY.
↓
THE CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN.
↓
GOD, THE JUDGE OF ALL.
↓
THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED.
↓
JESUS, THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT.
↓
AND:
THE BLOOD OF SPRINKLING.
This is a magnificent theological picture.
It brings together:
GOD.
ANGELS.
GOD'S PEOPLE.
JESUS.
THE NEW COVENANT.
AND:
THE SPRINKLED BLOOD.
The central subject is much larger than:
WHAT HAPPENS TO A HUMAN SOUL IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH?
QUICK FACT 216 — “THE CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN” INCLUDES PEOPLE WHO WERE STILL ALIVE
Hebrews refers to:
“the assembly and church of the firstborn having been enrolled in the heavens...”
— Hebrews 12:23, BLB
Notice:
“ENROLLED IN THE HEAVENS.”
Does this mean every member of this assembly was already physically living in heaven?
No.
Christians could have their names:
REGISTERED
or:
ENROLLED
in heaven while still living upon earth.
Jesus similarly told His disciples:
“rejoice that your names are written in the heavens.”
— Luke 10:20, BLB
The disciples were obviously still:
ALIVE ON EARTH.
Yet their names were:
“WRITTEN IN THE HEAVENS.”
Therefore heavenly identification does not automatically establish present physical location.
QUICK FACT 217 — “SPIRIT” DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN AN IMMORTAL CONSCIOUS PERSON
Hebrews 12:23 uses the Greek word:
πνεύμασι — PNEUMASI.
This is a form of:
πνεῦμα — PNEUMA.
PNEUMA can mean, depending upon context:
SPIRIT.
BREATH.
WIND.
A SPIRITUAL BEING.
OR:
THE INNER SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF A PERSON.
Therefore the mere presence of the word:
“SPIRITS”
does NOT automatically prove:
DISEMBODIED IMMORTAL HUMAN BEINGS CONSCIOUSLY LIVING IN HEAVEN.
The context must determine what the writer means.
This is the same principle we applied to:
PSYCHĒ — “SOUL”
in Revelation 6.
We must not begin with a later doctrine and then force that doctrine into a Greek word.
QUICK FACT 218 — WHAT DOES “HAVING BEEN PERFECTED” MEAN IN HEBREWS?
This expression is extremely important.
Hebrews speaks about:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED.”
— Hebrews 12:23, BLB
The Greek word translated:
“HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
comes from:
τελειόω — TELEIOŌ.
This word and its related ideas are extremely important throughout Hebrews.
Hebrews repeatedly discusses:
PERFECTION.
ACCESS TO GOD.
CLEANSING.
THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST.
AND:
THE NEW COVENANT.
For example, Hebrews says concerning Christ:
“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those being sanctified.”
— Hebrews 10:14, BLB
Notice something important.
Those:
“BEING SANCTIFIED”
are described as:
“PERFECTED.”
This does not require them to be:
DEAD.
Nor does it require them to be:
DISEMBODIED SOULS IN HEAVEN.
The perfection language of Hebrews is closely connected with:
CHRIST'S SACRIFICE
and:
THE BELIEVER'S ACCEPTANCE BEFORE GOD.
QUICK FACT 219 — HEBREWS 10 HELPS US INTERPRET HEBREWS 12
Compare the two passages.
HEBREWS 10:
Christ:
“HAS PERFECTED FOR ALL TIME THOSE BEING SANCTIFIED.”
— Hebrews 10:14, BLB
HEBREWS 12:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED.”
— Hebrews 12:23, BLB
This should make us cautious about assuming:
“PERFECTED”
means:
THEY DIED AND THEIR IMMORTAL SPIRITS WENT TO HEAVEN.
Hebrews itself connects perfection with what Christ accomplished through:
HIS SACRIFICE.
The writer's central concern is:
ACCESS TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST
rather than constructing a doctrine of an inherently immortal human soul.
QUICK FACT 220 — JESUS AND THE NEW COVENANT ARE THE CLIMAX OF THE PASSAGE
The passage reaches its climax with:
“Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant...”
— Hebrews 12:24, BLB
This is extremely important.
The entire contrast has moved from:
SINAI
↓
TO:
ZION.
FROM:
THE OLD COVENANT SETTING
↓
TO:
THE NEW COVENANT.
FROM:
FEAR AND DISTANCE
↓
TO:
ACCESS THROUGH CHRIST.
And finally:
JESUS
THE:
“MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT.”
Therefore Hebrews 12:22–24 is fundamentally about the magnificent covenant reality believers have entered through:
JESUS CHRIST.
It should not automatically be reduced to:
A DESCRIPTION OF WHERE DISEMBODIED HUMAN SOULS LIVE BETWEEN DEATH AND RESURRECTION.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 21 — PART TWO
But one major question remains:
WHO EXACTLY ARE:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”?
Could this expression refer particularly to faithful believers who died before Christ's work reached its fulfillment?
To answer that question we need to return to the immediately preceding argument of Hebrews.
Hebrews 11 describes:
ABEL.
ENOCH.
NOAH.
ABRAHAM.
SARAH.
MOSES.
AND MANY OTHER FAITHFUL PEOPLE.
Yet after listing these heroes of faith, the writer makes an extraordinary statement:
“And these all, having been commended through the faith, did not receive the promise.”
— Hebrews 11:39, BLB
Then:
“God having planned something better for us, so that not apart from us, they should be made perfect.”
— Hebrews 11:40, BLB
Notice:
“THEY SHOULD BE MADE PERFECT.”
Immediately afterward Hebrews 12 speaks about:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED.”
Is there a connection?
And what does Hebrews itself teach about:
THE PROMISE.
THE BETTER RESURRECTION.
THE FUTURE CITY.
AND:
THE INHERITANCE OF THE FAITHFUL?
That is where we will continue in:
PART 21 — PART TWO.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 21 — “THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
DOES HEBREWS 12:22–24 PROVE THAT DEAD BELIEVERS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we discovered that Hebrews 12 is contrasting:
MOUNT SINAI
WITH:
MOUNT ZION.
The writer tells living Christians:
“YOU HAVE COME”
to:
HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
Yet these Christians were still physically alive on earth.
Therefore the passage is clearly describing more than literal geographical location.
We also discovered that Hebrews repeatedly uses the language of:
“PERFECTION”
in connection with what Christ accomplished through His sacrifice.
Now we must examine an extremely important connection between:
HEBREWS 11
AND:
HEBREWS 12.
QUICK FACT 221 — THE FAITHFUL OF HEBREWS 11 HAD NOT YET RECEIVED THE PROMISE
Hebrews 11 describes many faithful servants of God:
ABEL.
ENOCH.
NOAH.
ABRAHAM.
SARAH.
ISAAC.
JACOB.
JOSEPH.
MOSES.
AND MANY OTHERS.
Yet after describing their extraordinary faith, Hebrews says:
“And these all, having been commended through the faith, did not receive the promise.”
— Hebrews 11:39, BLB
Notice:
“DID NOT RECEIVE THE PROMISE.”
This is extremely important.
If Hebrews were teaching that these faithful people had already received their final reward in heaven immediately after death, this statement would require explanation.
Instead, the writer says:
THEY HAD NOT YET RECEIVED:
THE PROMISE.
QUICK FACT 222 — THEY WOULD NOT BE PERFECTED “APART FROM US”
The next verse says:
“God having planned something better for us, so that not apart from us, they should be made perfect.”
— Hebrews 11:40, BLB
Notice:
“NOT APART FROM US.”
This suggests a shared fulfillment.
The faithful who lived before us are not presented as receiving the complete promised inheritance independently and centuries before the rest of God's people.
Rather:
THEY
AND:
US
are connected in God's ultimate purpose.
This fits naturally with the great biblical hope of:
RESURRECTION
AND:
THE FUTURE INHERITANCE.
QUICK FACT 223 — HEBREWS 11 ITSELF SPEAKS ABOUT A “BETTER RESURRECTION”
Earlier in the same chapter, Hebrews speaks about faithful people who endured terrible suffering:
“others were tortured, not having accepted release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection.”
— Hebrews 11:35, BLB
Notice their hope:
“A BETTER RESURRECTION.”
Why endure persecution and death?
Because they looked forward to:
RESURRECTION.
Again, the emphasis is not:
DEATH RELEASES AN IMMORTAL SOUL INTO ITS FINAL HEAVENLY LIFE.
The emphasis is:
THEY WILL OBTAIN:
“A BETTER RESURRECTION.”
QUICK FACT 224 — ABRAHAM LOOKED FORWARD TO A FUTURE CITY
Hebrews says concerning Abraham:
“For he was awaiting the city having foundations, of which the architect and builder is God.”
— Hebrews 11:10, BLB
Later the faithful are described as desiring:
“A BETTER COUNTRY, THAT IS, A HEAVENLY ONE.”
— Hebrews 11:16
And God:
“HAS PREPARED A CITY FOR THEM.”
This is important because Hebrews 12 then speaks of:
“THE CITY OF THE LIVING GOD, HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.”
— Hebrews 12:22
The writer is bringing together the great promises toward which God's faithful people looked.
But having a heavenly city prepared by God does not automatically mean that every dead believer is presently consciously living there as a disembodied spirit.
The question remains:
WHEN IS THE PROMISED INHERITANCE FULLY RECEIVED?
QUICK FACT 225 — HEBREWS 11 SAYS THE FAITHFUL DIED WITHOUT RECEIVING THE PROMISES
Hebrews makes an extraordinary statement:
“In faith these all died, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar and having embraced them...”
— Hebrews 11:13, BLB
Notice:
“THESE ALL DIED.”
And:
“NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
This is powerful evidence concerning the writer's perspective.
They:
DIED IN FAITH.
↓
THEY HAD SEEN THE PROMISES:
“FROM AFAR.”
↓
BUT THEY HAD:
“NOT RECEIVED”
THEM.
Their hope therefore remained:
FUTURE.
QUICK FACT 226 — THE PATRIARCHS WERE SEEKING SOMETHING STILL AHEAD
Hebrews continues:
“For those saying such things make manifest that they are seeking their own country.”
— Hebrews 11:14, BLB
And:
“they are longing for a better, that is, a heavenly one.”
— Hebrews 11:16, BLB
Their faith looked:
FORWARD.
God had prepared something for them.
But Hebrews has already told us:
THEY DIED:
“NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
Therefore we should be cautious about interpreting Hebrews 12:23 as though it suddenly teaches that these same faithful people had already received their complete promised existence in heaven.
QUICK FACT 227 — HEBREWS 11:40 LEADS DIRECTLY INTO HEBREWS 12
This is easy to miss because modern Bibles divide the text into chapters.
Originally there were no chapter divisions.
Hebrews 11 ends:
“so that not apart from us, they should be made perfect.”
— Hebrews 11:40, BLB
Then Hebrews 12 begins:
“Therefore we also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us...”
— Hebrews 12:1, BLB
The argument continues.
The heroes of faith have just been discussed.
Their faith provides testimony and example for believers who are still running the race.
The writer then tells Christians to look:
“TO JESUS.”
— Hebrews 12:2
Therefore Hebrews 11 and 12 form one connected argument.
QUICK FACT 228 — “CLOUD OF WITNESSES” DOES NOT SAY THE DEAD ARE WATCHING US
Hebrews 12:1 is sometimes interpreted to mean:
THE DEAD SAINTS ARE IN HEAVEN WATCHING CHRISTIANS ON EARTH.
But the text does not actually say that.
The Greek word:
μάρτυς — MARTYS
means:
WITNESS.
The preceding chapter has just given us an enormous catalogue of people whose:
FAITH
BORE WITNESS.
They testify through the record of their lives that:
FAITH ENDURES.
FAITH TRUSTS GOD.
FAITH LOOKS TOWARD THE PROMISE.
The passage does not say:
THEY ARE CONSCIOUSLY OBSERVING US FROM HEAVEN.
That idea should not be inserted into:
“CLOUD OF WITNESSES.”
QUICK FACT 229 — JESUS, NOT THE DEAD SAINTS, IS WHERE THE BELIEVER'S ATTENTION IS DIRECTED
What does Hebrews tell Christians to do?
It says:
“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...”
— Hebrews 12:2, BLB
The believer's attention is directed toward:
JESUS.
The faithful people of Hebrews 11 provide examples of faith.
But:
JESUS
is the:
FOUNDER
AND:
PERFECTER
of faith.
Again the great subject of Hebrews is:
WHAT GOD HAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 230 — HEBREWS STILL POINTS TOWARD A FUTURE INHERITANCE
Putting Hebrews 11 together gives us this pattern:
THE FAITHFUL LIVED BY:
FAITH.
↓
THEY LOOKED TOWARD:
THE PROMISES.
↓
THEY DESIRED:
A BETTER COUNTRY.
↓
GOD PREPARED:
A CITY.
↓
THEY:
DIED IN FAITH.
↓
THEY HAD:
“NOT RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
↓
THEY LOOKED TOWARD:
“A BETTER RESURRECTION.”
↓
AND GOD PLANNED THAT:
“NOT APART FROM US, THEY SHOULD BE MADE PERFECT.”
This is very different from the idea that Hebrews teaches:
THE RIGHTEOUS DIE
↓
THEIR IMMORTAL SPIRITS IMMEDIATELY RECEIVE THEIR FINAL REWARD IN HEAVEN.
The writer's emphasis remains upon:
FAITH.
PROMISE.
RESURRECTION.
PERFECTION.
AND:
FUTURE INHERITANCE.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 21 — PART THREE
We can now return directly to the difficult expression:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED.”
— Hebrews 12:23, BLB
In Part Three we will ask:
WHO ARE THESE “SPIRITS”?
WHAT DOES PNEUMA MEAN IN THIS CONTEXT?
DOES “PERFECTED” MEAN THEY ARE ALREADY RESURRECTED?
DOES HEBREWS 12 SAY THESE PEOPLE ARE CONSCIOUS?
DOES IT SAY THEY ARE DISEMBODIED?
DOES IT SAY THEY WENT TO HEAVEN WHEN THEY DIED?
And we will compare this difficult expression with the much clearer statement:
“THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH, NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
— Hebrews 11:13, BLB
And:
“SO THAT NOT APART FROM US, THEY SHOULD BE MADE PERFECT.”
— Hebrews 11:40, BLB
Only then can we determine whether Hebrews 12:23 really teaches:
CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SPIRITS IN HEAVEN
or whether that doctrine has been read into a passage whose central subject is:
THE NEW COVENANT REALITY OF GOD'S PEOPLE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 21 — “THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
DOES HEBREWS 12:22–24 PROVE THAT DEAD BELIEVERS ARE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN?
PART THREE
CONTINUED FROM PART TWO
We have now discovered something extremely important from Hebrews itself.
The faithful people described in Hebrews 11:
DIED IN FAITH.
↓
HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PROMISES.
↓
LOOKED FORWARD TO A BETTER RESURRECTION.
↓
AND WERE NOT TO BE MADE PERFECT:
“APART FROM US.”
So how should we understand:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”?
— Hebrews 12:23, BLB
QUICK FACT 231 — THE WORD “SPIRITS” DOES NOT BY ITSELF PROVE CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER DEATH
The Greek word translated:
“SPIRITS”
is:
πνεύμασι — PNEUMASI
from:
πνεῦμα — PNEUMA.
PNEUMA has a broad range of meanings in the New Testament.
Depending upon context, it can refer to:
SPIRIT.
BREATH.
WIND.
A SPIRITUAL BEING.
OR:
THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF A PERSON.
Therefore we cannot simply reason:
HEBREWS SAYS “SPIRITS.”
↓
THEREFORE:
THESE MUST BE CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOULS LIVING WITHOUT THEIR BODIES.
The Greek word itself does not establish that doctrine.
The context must determine its meaning.
QUICK FACT 232 — THE VERSE DOES NOT SAY THESE SPIRITS ARE “IMMORTAL”
This is a simple but extremely important observation.
Hebrews 12:23 does NOT say:
“THE IMMORTAL SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS.”
It says:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED.”
The word:
IMMORTAL
does not appear.
Neither does the passage say:
THEIR SPIRITS CANNOT DIE.
THEIR SPIRITS LEFT THEIR BODIES AT DEATH.
THEIR SPIRITS WENT TO HEAVEN WHEN THEY DIED.
OR:
THEIR SPIRITS ARE CONSCIOUSLY LIVING WITHOUT THEIR BODIES.
Those ideas must be supplied by the interpreter.
QUICK FACT 233 — “PERFECTED” IS NOT THE SAME AS “MADE IMMORTAL”
This distinction is also important.
The Greek word translated:
“HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
comes from:
τελειόω — TELEIOŌ.
But Hebrews itself uses this language concerning believers through the sacrifice of Christ.
We previously saw:
“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those being sanctified.”
— Hebrews 10:14, BLB
These people were not necessarily:
DEAD.
They were not necessarily:
DISEMBODIED.
And they had not necessarily:
RECEIVED IMMORTALITY.
Therefore:
“PERFECTED”
cannot simply be redefined as:
“DEAD PEOPLE WHO HAVE BECOME IMMORTAL SPIRITS IN HEAVEN.”
In Hebrews, perfection is deeply connected with:
CHRIST'S SACRIFICE.
CLEANSING.
ACCESS TO GOD.
AND:
THE NEW COVENANT.
QUICK FACT 234 — THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER SAYS THE FAITHFUL HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PROMISE
This creates an important safeguard against overinterpreting Hebrews 12:23.
Hebrews 11 says:
“And these all, having been commended through the faith, did not receive the promise.”
— Hebrews 11:39, BLB
Then:
“God having planned something better for us, so that not apart from us, they should be made perfect.”
— Hebrews 11:40, BLB
Therefore we should not make Hebrews 12 contradict Hebrews 11.
The same writer has just told us:
THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PROMISE.
↓
THEIR COMPLETION WAS CONNECTED WITH:
US.
Whatever:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
means, it must be understood within that wider argument.
QUICK FACT 235 — “YOU HAVE COME” DOES NOT MEAN THE READERS WERE PHYSICALLY IN HEAVEN
Return to the beginning of the passage.
The writer tells living Christians:
“YOU HAVE COME TO MOUNT ZION.”
↓
“THE CITY OF THE LIVING GOD.”
↓
“HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.”
— Hebrews 12:22, BLB
Were these Christians physically standing in:
HEAVEN?
No.
Yet the writer says:
“YOU HAVE COME.”
Therefore the whole passage operates on a theological and covenantal level.
Living Christians on earth already participate in the reality represented by:
HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
This is extremely important.
If:
“YOU HAVE COME TO HEAVENLY JERUSALEM”
does not mean the living readers had physically gone to heaven,
then we should not suddenly assume that every other expression in the same description must identify the literal geographical location of the dead.
QUICK FACT 236 — THE PASSAGE BRINGS TOGETHER HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY REALITIES
Look again at everything Hebrews says believers have approached:
MOUNT ZION.
↓
HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
↓
MYRIADS OF ANGELS.
↓
THE ASSEMBLY OF THE FIRSTBORN.
↓
GOD, THE JUDGE OF ALL.
↓
THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED.
↓
JESUS, THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT.
↓
THE BLOOD OF SPRINKLING.
This is not presented as a travel itinerary describing where various beings physically live.
It is a magnificent picture of the:
NEW COVENANT COMMUNITY
AND:
THE HEAVENLY REALITY TO WHICH BELIEVERS NOW BELONG THROUGH CHRIST.
QUICK FACT 237 — THE SPRINKLED BLOOD ALSO “SPEAKS”
There is another fascinating detail.
Hebrews 12:24 speaks about:
“the blood of sprinkling speaking better than that of Abel.”
— Hebrews 12:24, BLB
Notice:
BLOOD:
“SPEAKS.”
This is especially important after our examination of Revelation 6.
In Genesis:
ABEL'S BLOOD:
“CRIES.”
In Hebrews:
THE SPRINKLED BLOOD:
“SPEAKS.”
Does blood literally possess:
CONSCIOUSNESS?
No.
This is biblical figurative language.
The writer himself therefore uses personified imagery immediately alongside:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS.”
That should make us especially careful about turning Hebrews 12 into a literal description of the conscious state of the dead.
QUICK FACT 238 — HEBREWS STILL POINTS TOWARD THE FUTURE
Hebrews does not present the Christian hope as completed at death.
Earlier we saw:
“A BETTER RESURRECTION.”
— Hebrews 11:35
The faithful:
“DID NOT RECEIVE THE PROMISE.”
— Hebrews 11:39
And Hebrews later says:
“For here we do not have an abiding city, but we are seeking the coming one.”
— Hebrews 13:14, BLB
Notice:
“THE COMING ONE.”
The hope still points:
FORWARD.
Therefore Hebrews itself gives us:
PROMISE.
EXPECTATION.
RESURRECTION.
AND:
A COMING CITY.
QUICK FACT 239 — HEBREWS 12:23 DOES NOT TEACH THE DOCTRINE IT IS OFTEN USED TO PROVE
Let us ask the questions directly.
DOES HEBREWS 12:23 SAY:
THE HUMAN SOUL IS IMMORTAL?
NO.
DOES IT SAY:
RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE GO CONSCIOUSLY TO HEAVEN WHEN THEY DIE?
NO.
DOES IT SAY:
THEIR SPIRITS LEAVE THEIR BODIES AT DEATH?
NO.
DOES IT SAY:
THEY EXIST CONSCIOUSLY WITHOUT THEIR BODIES?
NO.
DOES IT SAY:
THEY HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR FINAL RESURRECTION INHERITANCE?
NO.
Those conclusions go beyond the words of the passage.
PART 21 — FINAL CONCLUSION
Does:
“THE SPIRITS OF THE RIGHTEOUS HAVING BEEN PERFECTED”
prove that dead believers are consciously alive in heaven?
Hebrews 12:23 does not require that interpretation.
The complete context tells us:
THE FAITHFUL DIED:
“NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES.”
↓
THEY LOOKED TOWARD:
“A BETTER RESURRECTION.”
↓
THEY WERE NOT TO BE PERFECTED:
“APART FROM US.”
↓
LIVING CHRISTIANS ARE SAID TO HAVE:
“COME”
TO:
HEAVENLY JERUSALEM.
↓
YET THEY WERE STILL:
ALIVE ON EARTH.
↓
THE PASSAGE DESCRIBES:
JESUS
AS:
“THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT.”
Therefore Hebrews 12 is fundamentally describing:
THE NEW COVENANT REALITY.
THE HEAVENLY COMMUNITY OF GOD.
ACCESS TO GOD.
AND:
THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST.
It does not explicitly teach:
AN IMMORTAL SOUL.
CONSCIOUS DISEMBODIED EXISTENCE.
OR:
IMMEDIATE LIFE IN HEAVEN AT DEATH.
Once again, the clearer hope found within Hebrews itself remains:
“A BETTER RESURRECTION.”
COMING NEXT:
PART 22 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”
A DEEPER EXAMINATION OF LUKE 23:43
Earlier in this series we examined the thief on the cross.
But there is another important question that deserves closer investigation:
WHERE SHOULD THE COMMA ACTUALLY GO?
The earliest Greek manuscripts did not contain modern punctuation in the way our English Bibles do.
The Greek words themselves can be rendered:
“TRULY TO YOU I SAY TODAY...”
or punctuated:
“TRULY TO YOU I SAY, TODAY...”
Compared with:
“TRULY I SAY TO YOU, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
The placement of the comma can dramatically affect how an English reader understands the statement.
And there is an even greater question.
DID JESUS HIMSELF GO TO HEAVEN THAT DAY?
After His resurrection Jesus said:
“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
— John 20:17
So how could Jesus have promised the thief that they would both be with the Father in heaven on the day of the crucifixion?
And does:
“PARADISE”
necessarily mean:
HEAVEN?
In Part 22 we will examine:
THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
THE ABSENCE OF MODERN PUNCTUATION IN THE EARLY MANUSCRIPTS.
THE WORD:
SĒMERON — “TODAY.”
JESUS' STATEMENT:
“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF:
PARADISE.
AND:
THE THIEF'S OWN REQUEST:
“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 22 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”
A DEEPER EXAMINATION OF LUKE 23:43
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
Earlier in this study we examined one of the most famous passages used to support the belief that people remain consciously alive after death:
Luke 23:43.
Jesus says to the criminal crucified beside Him:
“Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
— Luke 23:43, BLB
Read with this punctuation, the meaning appears obvious:
THE THIEF DIES THAT DAY.
↓
JESUS DIES THAT DAY.
↓
BOTH IMMEDIATELY ENTER PARADISE.
↓
THEREFORE THE DEAD MUST REMAIN CONSCIOUS AFTER DEATH.
But there is an important textual issue.
The original Greek manuscripts were not written with the modern commas found in our English translations.
The punctuation has therefore been supplied by editors and translators.
That means we must ask:
DO THE GREEK WORDS THEMSELVES REQUIRE:
“TRULY I SAY TO YOU,
TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”?
Or could the statement legitimately be understood:
“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY,
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”?
The difference is enormous.
In the first:
“TODAY”
describes WHEN the thief will be with Jesus.
In the second:
“TODAY”
emphasizes WHEN Jesus is making the promise.
So which reading best fits:
THE CONTEXT?
THE THIEF'S REQUEST?
JESUS' OTHER STATEMENTS?
AND:
THE BIBLICAL TEACHING ABOUT RESURRECTION?
QUICK FACT 240 — THE GREEK TEXT DOES NOT CONTAIN THE MODERN COMMA
The Greek wording of Luke 23:43 is:
Ἀμήν σοι λέγω σήμερον μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ
Transliterated:
AMĒN SOI LEGŌ SĒMERON MET’ EMOU ESĒ EN TŌ PARADEISŌ.
The words mean essentially:
TRULY
TO YOU
I SAY
TODAY
WITH ME
YOU WILL BE
IN PARADISE.
The Greek word:
σήμερον — SĒMERON
means:
TODAY.
The question is not what:
SĒMERON
means.
The question is:
WHICH PART OF THE SENTENCE DOES “TODAY” MODIFY?
Does it mean:
“I SAY TO YOU,
TODAY YOU WILL BE...”
Or:
“I SAY TO YOU TODAY,
YOU WILL BE...”?
Modern punctuation makes that decision for the reader.
But the punctuation itself was not part of Luke's original wording.
QUICK FACT 241 — WE SHOULD NOT CLAIM THAT THE GREEK “PROVES” EITHER COMMA POSITION
This is extremely important for careful research.
We should not make the opposite mistake and claim:
THE GREEK DEFINITELY PROVES THE COMMA MUST COME AFTER “TODAY.”
The Greek words themselves permit the interpretive question.
Therefore our argument should not be:
THE ORIGINAL GREEK HAD THE COMMA AFTER “TODAY.”
It did not have our modern comma there at all.
The correct question is:
WHICH PUNCTUATION BEST REPRESENTS LUKE'S INTENDED MEANING?
To answer that, we need:
CONTEXT.
QUICK FACT 242 — THE THIEF DID NOT ASK JESUS TO TAKE HIM TO HEAVEN THAT DAY
Now examine what the criminal actually asked Jesus.
He said:
“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
— Luke 23:42, BLB
Notice carefully:
“WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”
The thief does NOT say:
TAKE MY SOUL TO HEAVEN WITH YOU WHEN WE DIE TODAY.
He asks Jesus to remember him in connection with:
THE KINGDOM.
His hope points toward:
A FUTURE KINGDOM EVENT.
Jesus then answers his request with a magnificent promise.
The criminal asks:
“REMEMBER ME...”
Jesus effectively assures him:
YOU WILL BE WITH ME.
The real question is:
WHEN?
QUICK FACT 243 — JESUS' ANSWER CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS A SOLEMN PROMISE MADE “TODAY”
Consider the circumstances.
Jesus was dying as a condemned criminal.
To human eyes:
HE HAD BEEN REJECTED.
HE HAD BEEN BEATEN.
HE HAD BEEN MOCKED.
HE WAS HANGING ON A CROSS.
AND:
DEATH WAS APPROACHING.
Yet the criminal expressed extraordinary faith.
He believed this crucified Jesus still had:
A KINGDOM.
In that setting the word:
“TODAY”
could carry tremendous emphasis:
TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY—
ON THIS VERY DAY WHEN I APPEAR DEFEATED,
ON THIS DAY WHEN WE ARE BOTH DYING,
ON THIS DAY WHEN MY KINGDOM SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE—
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.
The promise is certain even though its fulfillment is future.
QUICK FACT 244 — SIMILAR “I SAY TO YOU TODAY” LANGUAGE APPEARS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
The construction:
“I COMMAND YOU TODAY”
or:
“I DECLARE TO YOU TODAY”
occurs repeatedly in the Greek Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures.
Deuteronomy repeatedly uses expressions such as:
“I command you today...”
and:
“I declare to you today...”
The word:
“TODAY”
can therefore emphasize the solemn occasion upon which something is being declared.
This does not by itself prove Luke 23:43 must be punctuated that way.
But it demonstrates that:
“I SAY TO YOU TODAY”
is not linguistically absurd.
QUICK FACT 245 — WHERE DID JESUS GO WHEN HE DIED?
Now we reach an even bigger question.
If the traditional punctuation means Jesus and the thief consciously entered Paradise that very day:
WHERE WAS JESUS DURING DEATH?
Jesus Himself had repeatedly predicted:
HIS DEATH
AND:
HIS RESURRECTION.
He said:
“The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
— Matthew 17:22–23, BLB
The sequence is:
JESUS IS KILLED.
↓
THEN:
ON THE THIRD DAY:
HE IS RAISED.
The resurrection — not an immortal soul escaping death — is the great victory presented throughout the New Testament.
QUICK FACT 246 — AFTER HIS RESURRECTION JESUS SAID HE HAD “NOT YET ASCENDED” TO THE FATHER
This is one of the most important passages to compare with Luke 23:43.
After Jesus had been raised from the dead, He appeared to Mary Magdalene.
Jesus said:
“Do not cling to Me, for not yet have I ascended to the Father.”
— John 20:17, BLB
Notice carefully:
THIS IS AFTER JESUS' DEATH.
↓
THIS IS AFTER HIS BURIAL.
↓
THIS IS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.
And Jesus says:
“NOT YET HAVE I ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
This creates a serious difficulty for the interpretation:
JESUS DIED ON FRIDAY.
↓
JESUS IMMEDIATELY ASCENDED TO THE FATHER'S HEAVENLY PRESENCE.
↓
THE THIEF WENT THERE WITH HIM.
Jesus Himself says after His resurrection:
“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
QUICK FACT 247 — “PARADISE” SHOULD NOT SIMPLY BE ASSUMED TO MEAN “THE FATHER'S HEAVEN”
This distinction is important.
The Greek word is:
παράδεισος — PARADEISOS.
It means:
PARADISE.
GARDEN.
The word ultimately carries the imagery of:
A GARDEN
or:
PARK.
Therefore we should not simply begin with the assumption:
PARADISE = THE PRESENT DWELLING PLACE OF DISEMBODIED SOULS IN HEAVEN.
That doctrine must be demonstrated rather than assumed.
The Bible's great story begins with:
EDEN.
A GARDEN.
THE TREE OF LIFE.
AND:
HUMANITY LOSING ACCESS TO LIFE.
Revelation ends with:
THE TREE OF LIFE.
THE WATER OF LIFE.
AND:
THE RESTORATION OF GOD'S CREATION.
This gives “Paradise” a powerful:
KINGDOM
AND:
RESTORATION
dimension.
QUICK FACT 248 — REVELATION CONNECTS PARADISE WITH THE TREE OF LIFE
Jesus says in Revelation:
“To the one overcoming, I will give to him to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
— Revelation 2:7, BLB
Notice the connection:
PARADISE.
↓
THE TREE OF LIFE.
This immediately recalls:
EDEN.
And Revelation later describes the tree of life in the restored creation:
“the tree of life producing twelve fruits...”
— Revelation 22:2, BLB
Therefore Paradise can naturally be understood within the biblical hope of:
RESTORATION.
THE KINGDOM.
THE TREE OF LIFE.
AND:
EVERLASTING LIFE.
This fits remarkably well with the thief's request:
“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”
CONTINUED IN:
PART 22 — PART TWO
In Part Two we will examine the question even more closely.
We will compare:
THE THIEF'S REQUEST:
“WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”
WITH:
JESUS' PROMISE:
“YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
We will examine:
WHETHER THE THIEF DIED AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME AS JESUS.
WHY THE SOLDIERS BROKE THE LEGS OF THE TWO CRIMINALS.
WHAT JESUS MEANT WHEN HE SAID:
“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
AND:
HOW LUKE 23:43 FITS WITH JESUS' OWN TEACHING ABOUT:
“THE RESURRECTION AT THE LAST DAY.”
Most importantly, we will not build the argument merely upon:
MOVING A COMMA.
We will allow:
THE COMPLETE BIBLICAL CONTEXT
to determine whether Luke 23:43 really proves:
IMMEDIATE CONSCIOUS LIFE AFTER DEATH.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST THE PUNCTUATION.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 22 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”
A DEEPER EXAMINATION OF LUKE 23:43
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we established several important facts.
The earliest Greek text did not contain the modern comma that determines how Luke 23:43 is usually read.
The thief asked Jesus:
“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”
— Luke 23:42, BLB
And after His resurrection Jesus said:
“NOT YET HAVE I ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
— John 20:17, BLB
Therefore we should not simply assume that Jesus was promising:
TODAY WE WILL BOTH DIE.
↓
TODAY OUR CONSCIOUS SPIRITS WILL LEAVE OUR BODIES.
↓
TODAY WE WILL BOTH ENTER HEAVEN.
There are further important facts we need to examine.
QUICK FACT 249 — THE THIEF'S OWN EXPECTATION WAS CONNECTED WITH CHRIST'S KINGDOM
Return to the thief's request:
“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
— Luke 23:42, BLB
Notice the future orientation:
“WHEN YOU COME...”
The criminal believed that death would not prevent Jesus from ultimately receiving His kingdom.
He therefore asks to be:
REMEMBERED
when that kingdom comes.
Jesus responds with the assurance:
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.
This naturally connects:
THE KINGDOM
with:
PARADISE.
The thief asks about:
THE COMING KINGDOM.
Jesus promises:
PARADISE.
QUICK FACT 250 — JESUS FREQUENTLY CONNECTED SALVATION WITH THE FUTURE RESURRECTION
Jesus repeatedly pointed believers toward:
THE RESURRECTION.
He said:
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone beholding the Son and believing in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day.”
— John 6:40, BLB
Notice:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP.”
WHEN?
“IN THE LAST DAY.”
Jesus repeatedly uses this expression in John 6.
The hope is:
ETERNAL LIFE
AND:
RESURRECTION AT THE LAST DAY.
Therefore Luke 23:43 should not be interpreted in isolation from Jesus' repeated teaching concerning future resurrection.
QUICK FACT 251 — MARTHA EXPECTED LAZARUS TO RISE “IN THE LAST DAY”
When Lazarus died, Jesus told Martha:
“Your brother will rise again.”
— John 11:23, BLB
Martha replied:
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day.”
— John 11:24, BLB
Notice Martha's expectation:
LAZARUS WILL:
“RISE AGAIN.”
↓
WHEN?
“IN THE RESURRECTION.”
↓
WHEN?
“IN THE LAST DAY.”
Jesus does not respond by telling Martha:
LAZARUS IS ALREADY CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE IN HEAVEN.
Instead Jesus declares:
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
— John 11:25, BLB
Again:
RESURRECTION
is central.
QUICK FACT 252 — JESUS HIMSELF TRULY DIED
The New Testament does not present Jesus' death as an illusion.
Jesus:
DIED.
Paul says:
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:3, BLB
Then:
“He was buried.”
And:
“He has been raised on the third day.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:4, BLB
Notice the sequence:
CHRIST DIED.
↓
CHRIST WAS BURIED.
↓
CHRIST WAS RAISED.
This is the foundation of the gospel.
The victory occurs through:
RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 253 — JESUS SAID HE HAD NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER
This deserves special attention because it directly affects one common interpretation of Luke 23:43.
After His resurrection Jesus told Mary:
“NOT YET HAVE I ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
— John 20:17, BLB
Therefore:
JESUS DIED.
↓
JESUS WAS BURIED.
↓
JESUS WAS RAISED.
↓
AND AFTER HIS RESURRECTION HE SAID:
“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
This creates an important question for the interpretation:
JESUS DIED.
↓
JESUS IMMEDIATELY ASCENDED TO THE FATHER'S HEAVENLY PRESENCE.
↓
THE THIEF WENT THERE WITH HIM.
John 20:17 means that interpretation must at least explain the distinction between:
PARADISE
AND:
ASCENDING TO THE FATHER.
We should therefore be careful not simply to assume that:
“PARADISE”
in Luke 23:43 automatically means:
JESUS ASCENDED TO THE FATHER THAT DAY.
QUICK FACT 254 — PARADISE AND “ASCENDING TO THE FATHER” ARE NOT IDENTICAL EXPRESSIONS
Luke 23:43 says:
“PARADISE.”
It does NOT say:
“THE FATHER'S HEAVEN.”
It does NOT say:
“TODAY YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL WILL ASCEND TO GOD.”
And it does NOT say:
“TODAY YOU WILL ENTER A DISEMBODIED CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE.”
Those are interpretations added to the words.
The Greek word:
ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΣΟΣ — PARADEISOS
means:
PARADISE
and carries the imagery of:
A GARDEN.
Revelation connects Paradise with:
THE TREE OF LIFE.
— Revelation 2:7
And the Bible's final vision contains:
THE TREE OF LIFE.
THE RIVER OF LIFE.
THE REMOVAL OF THE CURSE.
AND:
THE RESTORED CREATION.
— Revelation 22:1–3
This gives Paradise a powerful connection with:
EDEN.
RESTORATION.
THE KINGDOM.
THE TREE OF LIFE.
AND:
EVERLASTING LIFE.
This also fits naturally with the thief's own request:
“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”
CONTINUED IN:
PART 22 — PART THREE
In Part Three we will continue with:
QUICK FACT 255 — DID THE THIEF DIE AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME AS JESUS?
We will then examine:
WHY THE SOLDIERS BROKE THE LEGS OF THE TWO CRIMINALS.
WHY THE DOCTRINE SHOULD NOT REST UPON AN EDITORIAL COMMA.
WHY BOTH PUNCTUATIONS CONTAIN EXACTLY THE SAME GREEK WORDS.
THE WIDER BIBLICAL RESURRECTION CONTEXT.
AND:
THE FINAL CONCLUSION OF LUKE 23:43.
Most importantly, our argument will NOT depend entirely upon:
MOVING A COMMA.
We will compare:
SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE
and ask whether Luke 23:43 actually says anything about:
AN IMMORTAL SOUL.
A SOUL LEAVING THE BODY.
CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE BETWEEN DEATH AND RESURRECTION.
OR:
THE THIEF ASCENDING TO HEAVEN WHEN HE DIED.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST THE PUNCTUATION.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 22 — “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE”
A DEEPER EXAMINATION OF LUKE 23:43
PART THREE
CONTINUED FROM PART TWO
QUICK FACT 255 — DID THE THIEF DIE AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME AS JESUS?
There is another interesting detail that is sometimes overlooked.
John tells us that after Jesus had died, the soldiers came to the men crucified beside Him:
“So the soldiers came, and indeed they broke the legs of the first, and of the other one having been crucified with Him.”
— John 19:32, BLB
But when they came to Jesus:
“But having come to Jesus, when they saw Him already having been dead, they did not break His legs.”
— John 19:33, BLB
Notice:
JESUS WAS ALREADY DEAD.
↓
THE TWO CRIMINALS HAD THEIR LEGS BROKEN.
↓
THE PURPOSE WAS TO HASTEN THEIR DEATHS.
Therefore Jesus and the thief did not necessarily die at exactly the same moment.
The text does not tell us precisely when the thief finally died.
But more importantly, it NEVER says:
THE MOMENT THE THIEF DIED, HIS CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOUL WENT TO PARADISE.
That idea is not stated in the passage.
QUICK FACT 256 — A DOCTRINE SHOULD NOT REST UPON AN EDITORIAL COMMA
This is one of the most important lessons from Luke 23:43.
The Greek words belong to the text.
The modern comma does not.
The BLB currently punctuates the verse:
“Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
— Luke 23:43, BLB
But the underlying Greek wording does not contain a modern comma telling us where English punctuation must be placed.
Therefore a doctrine as important as:
THE CONSCIOUS SURVIVAL OF AN IMMORTAL SOUL AFTER DEATH
should not be established merely by:
THE POSITION OF A COMMA ADDED BY TRANSLATORS.
The question must be decided by examining:
THE GRAMMAR.
THE CONTEXT.
THE THIEF'S REQUEST.
JESUS' OTHER TEACHINGS.
AND:
THE WIDER BIBLICAL TEACHING ABOUT DEATH AND RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 257 — BOTH READINGS CONTAIN THE SAME GREEK WORDS
This is extremely important.
READING ONE:
“Truly I say to you,
TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
READING TWO:
“Truly I say to you TODAY,
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
The Greek words themselves have not been:
ADDED.
REMOVED.
OR:
CHANGED.
The question concerns where:
SĒMERON — “TODAY”
belongs in the sentence.
Does “today” modify:
“YOU WILL BE”?
Or does it modify:
“I SAY TO YOU”?
We should be completely transparent about this.
The Greek wording by itself does not contain a modern comma that settles the question.
QUICK FACT 258 — THE THIEF ASKED ABOUT THE KINGDOM, NOT ABOUT GOING TO HEAVEN THAT DAY
Now return to the actual conversation.
The thief said:
“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
— Luke 23:42, BLB
His request concerns:
THE KINGDOM.
He does not ask:
TAKE MY IMMORTAL SOUL TO HEAVEN TODAY.
He does not say:
I KNOW MY SOUL WILL LEAVE MY BODY WHEN I DIE.
He asks:
“REMEMBER ME”
WHEN?
“WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”
Jesus then assures him:
“YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
The thief's request and Jesus' answer therefore naturally connect:
THE COMING KINGDOM
WITH:
PARADISE.
QUICK FACT 259 — AFTER THE THIRD DAY JESUS SAID HE HAD NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER
Now compare Luke 23:43 with Jesus' own words after His resurrection.
Jesus told Mary:
“Do not touch Me, for not yet have I ascended to the Father.”
— John 20:17, BLB
This statement comes:
AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION.
↓
AFTER JESUS' DEATH.
↓
AFTER HIS BURIAL.
↓
AND AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.
Yet Jesus says:
“NOT YET HAVE I ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
Therefore we must be very cautious about claiming Luke 23:43 unquestionably means:
JESUS ASCENDED TO THE FATHER'S HEAVEN ON THE DAY HE DIED
AND:
THE THIEF WENT THERE WITH HIM.
Jesus' own statement requires that interpretation to explain how “Paradise” relates to His statement that He had:
“NOT YET”
ascended to the Father.
QUICK FACT 260 — THE WIDER TEACHING OF JESUS POINTS TO RESURRECTION
Jesus repeatedly said concerning believers:
“I WILL RAISE HIM UP IN THE LAST DAY.”
— John 6:40, BLB
Martha likewise said concerning Lazarus:
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day.”
— John 11:24, BLB
Therefore the repeated biblical sequence is:
DEATH.
↓
WAITING.
↓
THE LAST DAY.
↓
RESURRECTION.
↓
EVERLASTING LIFE.
Luke 23:43 should be interpreted within this wider resurrection framework.
PART 22 — FINAL CONCLUSION
Does Luke 23:43 prove that the thief's immortal soul consciously went to heaven immediately after death?
NO SUCH EXPLANATION APPEARS IN THE VERSE.
Jesus does not mention:
AN IMMORTAL SOUL.
↓
A SOUL LEAVING THE BODY.
↓
A CONSCIOUS SOUL ASCENDING TO HEAVEN.
↓
OR:
THE THIEF RECEIVING HIS FINAL REWARD BEFORE THE RESURRECTION.
The thief asks:
“REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.”
Jesus gives him the magnificent assurance:
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN:
PARADISE.
The Greek contains:
SĒMERON — “TODAY.”
But the ancient Greek wording does not contain our modern comma deciding whether the sentence should be understood:
“I SAY TO YOU,
TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME...”
or:
“I SAY TO YOU TODAY,
YOU WILL BE WITH ME...”
Therefore the punctuation itself should not be treated as inspired proof of conscious life immediately after death.
And the wider biblical evidence must also be considered:
JESUS TRULY DIED.
↓
JESUS WAS BURIED.
↓
JESUS WAS RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY.
↓
AFTER HIS RESURRECTION JESUS SAID:
“I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER.”
↓
THE THIEF HAD ASKED TO BE REMEMBERED WHEN JESUS CAME INTO:
HIS KINGDOM.
↓
AND JESUS REPEATEDLY TAUGHT THE HOPE OF:
RESURRECTION AT THE LAST DAY.
Therefore a coherent reading is:
“TRULY I SAY TO YOU TODAY,
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
On that very day—
WHILE JESUS WAS BEING REJECTED.
WHILE JESUS WAS DYING.
WHILE HIS KINGDOM APPEARED IMPOSSIBLE.
AND WHILE THE THIEF HIMSELF FACED DEATH—
Jesus gave him an absolute promise:
YOU WILL BE WITH ME.
The thief asked:
“REMEMBER ME.”
Jesus promised him:
PARADISE.
THE PROMISE WAS GIVEN:
TODAY.
THE FULFILLMENT LOOKS FORWARD TO:
THE KINGDOM.
THE RESURRECTION.
THE RESTORATION OF LIFE.
AND:
PARADISE.
COMING NEXT:
PART 23 — “FEAR THE ONE WHO CAN DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA”
DOES MATTHEW 10:28 TEACH THAT THE SOUL SURVIVES THE DEATH OF THE BODY?
Jesus says:
“Do not fear those killing the body, but not being able to kill the soul. But fear rather the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”
— Matthew 10:28, BLB
This verse raises a fascinating question.
Some argue:
MEN CAN KILL THE BODY
BUT:
CANNOT KILL THE SOUL.
THEREFORE:
THE SOUL MUST BE IMMORTAL.
But Jesus then says that God can:
“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY.”
So we must ask:
HOW CAN THE SOUL BE NATURALLY IMMORTAL IF JESUS SAYS GOD CAN:
DESTROY IT?
That is what we will investigate next.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 23 — “DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA”
DOES MATTHEW 10:28 TEACH THAT THE SOUL IS IMMORTAL?
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION
Matthew 10:28 is one of the most important verses in the debate over the nature of the human soul.
Jesus says:
“And do not fear those killing the body, but not being able to kill the soul. But fear rather the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”
— Matthew 10:28, BLB
At first sight, the first half of this verse can appear to teach:
MEN CAN KILL:
THE BODY.
↓
BUT THEY CANNOT KILL:
THE SOUL.
↓
THEREFORE:
THE SOUL MUST CONTINUE CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE AFTER THE BODY DIES.
But there is a serious problem with that interpretation.
Jesus does not finish the sentence there.
He continues:
“BUT FEAR RATHER THE ONE BEING ABLE TO DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”
Notice carefully:
GOD CAN:
DESTROY
↓
THE BODY
AND:
THE SOUL.
So how can Matthew 10:28 prove that the human soul is:
INDESTRUCTIBLE
or:
INHERENTLY IMMORTAL
when Jesus explicitly says that God is able to:
DESTROY IT?
That is the question we will investigate.
QUICK FACT 261 — THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED “SOUL” IS PSYCHĒ
The Greek word translated:
“SOUL”
in Matthew 10:28 is:
ψυχή — PSYCHĒ.
This is extremely important because PSYCHĒ does not automatically mean:
AN IMMORTAL, DISEMBODIED, CONSCIOUS ENTITY THAT CANNOT DIE.
Depending upon context, the word can refer to:
LIFE.
A PERSON.
ONESELF.
OR:
SOUL.
We have already encountered this word elsewhere in our study.
Jesus says:
“For whoever might desire to save his life will lose it; but whoever will lose his life on account of Me will find it.”
— Matthew 16:25, BLB
The Greek word translated:
“LIFE”
is:
PSYCHĒ.
Therefore:
PSYCHĒ
cannot automatically be defined as:
THE IMMORTAL SOUL.
Its meaning must be determined from:
CONTEXT.
QUICK FACT 262 — JESUS USES PSYCHĒ FOR “LIFE”
This becomes even clearer from Jesus' teaching.
He says:
“The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
— Matthew 20:28, BLB
The word translated:
“LIFE”
is again:
PSYCHĒ.
Jesus gave His:
PSYCHĒ.
This does not mean Jesus handed over an immortal ghost-like entity.
He gave:
HIS LIFE.
Therefore when Jesus uses the same Greek word in Matthew 10:28, we must not automatically import into it the later philosophical definition:
“AN IMMORTAL SOUL WHICH CAN NEVER CEASE TO EXIST.”
QUICK FACT 263 — WHAT CAN HUMAN PERSECUTORS ACTUALLY DO?
The context of Matthew 10 is extremely important.
Jesus is preparing His disciples for:
PERSECUTION.
He warns them that they will face:
HOSTILITY.
ARREST.
HATRED.
PERSECUTION.
AND:
DEATH.
Then He tells them:
“Do not fear those killing the body...”
Human persecutors can take away:
OUR PRESENT PHYSICAL LIFE.
They can:
KILL THE BODY.
But they cannot determine our:
ULTIMATE DESTINY.
They cannot prevent:
GOD FROM RAISING THE DEAD.
They cannot remove the believer from:
GOD'S PROMISE OF FUTURE LIFE.
Therefore Jesus' message is fundamentally about:
WHOM SHOULD YOU FEAR?
MEN?
OR:
GOD?
QUICK FACT 264 — MEN CAN KILL YOU, BUT THEY CANNOT TAKE AWAY THE LIFE GOD CAN RESTORE
This distinction is crucial.
Suppose a faithful disciple of Jesus is murdered.
From the human perspective:
THE PERSON HAS BEEN KILLED.
But does the murderer possess the power to prevent:
RESURRECTION?
NO.
Jesus says elsewhere:
“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth...”
— John 5:28–29, BLB
Therefore human beings may:
KILL.
But God retains the power to:
RAISE.
This gives Matthew 10:28 a powerful resurrection meaning.
MEN CAN DESTROY YOUR PRESENT LIFE.
BUT THEY CANNOT DESTROY GOD'S POWER TO RESTORE YOU TO LIFE.
QUICK FACT 265 — JESUS TELLS US WHOM WE REALLY SHOULD FEAR
Jesus continues:
“But fear rather the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”
— Matthew 10:28, BLB
Human persecutors have:
LIMITED POWER.
God possesses:
ULTIMATE AUTHORITY.
Men can kill:
THE BODY.
But God determines:
THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE WHOLE PERSON.
This is why Jesus says:
FEAR GOD.
The contrast is not necessarily:
MEN CAN DESTROY YOUR BODY BUT YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL ESCAPES AND LIVES FOREVER.
The contrast is:
MEN CAN TAKE YOUR PRESENT LIFE.
↓
BUT THEY CANNOT CONTROL YOUR ULTIMATE LIFE.
↓
GOD ALONE HOLDS AUTHORITY OVER:
FINAL LIFE
AND:
FINAL DESTRUCTION.
QUICK FACT 266 — THE GREEK WORD “DESTROY” IS APOLLUMI
Now we reach one of the most important words in the entire passage.
Jesus says God can:
“DESTROY”
both soul and body.
The Greek verb is:
ἀπόλλυμι — APOLLUMI.
This word can mean:
DESTROY.
CAUSE TO PERISH.
LOSE.
RUIN.
OR:
PUT TO DEATH,
depending upon context.
The crucial point is this:
Jesus does NOT say God will:
PRESERVE
the soul forever in Gehenna.
He says God is able to:
DESTROY
it.
This is very difficult to reconcile with the claim:
THE SOUL IS NATURALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE.
QUICK FACT 267 — JESUS USES APOLLUMI FOR DEATH AND PERISHING
The same Greek word appears in many familiar passages.
Jesus says:
“For God so loved the world that He gave the only begotten Son, so that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life.”
— John 3:16, BLB
The word translated:
“PERISH”
comes from:
APOLLUMI.
Notice the contrast:
PERISH
VERSUS:
ETERNAL LIFE.
This is important.
The contrast is not:
ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN
VERSUS:
ETERNAL LIFE IN TORMENT.
The actual words are:
PERISH
VERSUS:
ETERNAL LIFE.
QUICK FACT 268 — THE BIBLICAL CONTRAST IS LIFE VERSUS DESTRUCTION
Jesus says:
“Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad the way leading to destruction...”
— Matthew 7:13, BLB
Paul likewise writes:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23, BLB
Notice the biblical contrast:
SIN:
DEATH.
↓
GOD'S GIFT:
ETERNAL LIFE.
And:
THE BROAD WAY:
DESTRUCTION.
↓
THE WAY OF GOD:
LIFE.
This raises an important question.
If every human being already possesses:
AN IMMORTAL SOUL
that must consciously exist forever,
then in what sense is:
ETERNAL LIFE
God's gift?
QUICK FACT 269 — IMMORTALITY IS SOMETHING TO BE “PUT ON”
Paul says:
“For it behooves this perishable to put on imperishable, and this mortal to put on immortality.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53, BLB
Notice:
“THIS MORTAL”
must:
“PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
The Greek word for:
IMMORTALITY
is:
ἀθανασία — ATHANASIA.
Paul does not say:
THE BODY IS MORTAL BUT THE REAL PERSON ALREADY POSSESSES AN IMMORTAL SOUL.
Instead:
IMMORTALITY
is something that must be:
“PUT ON.”
And when does this happen?
In the context of:
THE RESURRECTION.
QUICK FACT 270 — MATTHEW 10:28 MAY ACTUALLY ARGUE AGAINST NATURAL IMMORTALITY
Now return to Jesus' statement:
“fear rather the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”
— Matthew 10:28, BLB
If the soul were:
NATURALLY IMMORTAL,
INDESTRUCTIBLE,
AND:
INCAPABLE OF PERISHING,
then Jesus' words would be very strange.
How could God:
“DESTROY”
something that by nature:
CANNOT BE DESTROYED?
But if PSYCHĒ concerns the person's:
LIFE
or:
ULTIMATE LIFE,
the statement makes excellent sense.
MEN CAN TAKE:
YOUR PRESENT LIFE.
↓
BUT THEY CANNOT REMOVE:
YOUR FUTURE LIFE IN GOD'S PURPOSE.
↓
GOD CAN RAISE YOU.
↓
AND GOD ALONE HAS AUTHORITY OVER:
YOUR FINAL DESTINY.
Therefore Matthew 10:28 does not necessarily prove:
THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL.
It may actually undermine the doctrine of:
AN INDESTRUCTIBLE SOUL.
CONTINUED IN:
PART 23 — PART TWO
In Part Two we will examine the other major word in Jesus' statement:
GEHENNA.
What exactly was:
GEHENNA?
Does Gehenna mean:
AN ETERNAL UNDERGROUND TORTURE CHAMBER FOR IMMORTAL SOULS?
Or does Jesus use Gehenna as an image of:
FINAL JUDGMENT
AND:
DESTRUCTION?
We will examine:
THE VALLEY OF HINNOM.
THE OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND.
JESUS' OTHER REFERENCES TO GEHENNA.
“UNQUENCHABLE FIRE.”
THE WORM THAT DOES NOT DIE.
AND:
WHY FIRE THAT CANNOT BE QUENCHED DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WHAT IS BURNING CAN NEVER BE CONSUMED.
Then we will bring Matthew 10:28 together with:
“THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH.”
AND:
“THIS MORTAL MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY.”
The key question will remain:
DOES JESUS TEACH THAT THE SOUL CANNOT BE DESTROYED?
Or does He explicitly tell us that:
GOD CAN DESTROY:
“BOTH SOUL AND BODY”?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
PART 23 — “DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA”
DOES MATTHEW 10:28 TEACH THAT THE SOUL IS IMMORTAL?
PART TWO
CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
In Part One we discovered something extremely important.
Jesus does NOT say that the soul is:
INDESTRUCTIBLE.
IMMORTAL.
OR:
INCAPABLE OF DYING.
Instead He says God is able to:
“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”
— Matthew 10:28, BLB
Now we must examine:
GEHENNA.
What did Jesus mean by this word?
Does Gehenna describe:
A PLACE WHERE IMMORTAL SOULS MUST REMAIN CONSCIOUSLY ALIVE FOREVER?
Or is it connected with:
FINAL JUDGMENT.
DESTRUCTION.
AND:
DEATH?
QUICK FACT 271 — “GEHENNA” COMES FROM THE VALLEY OF HINNOM
The Greek word translated:
“GEHENNA”
is:
γέεννα — GEENNA.
The name derives from the Hebrew expression associated with:
THE VALLEY OF HINNOM.
This was an actual valley associated with Jerusalem.
The Old Testament repeatedly refers to:
THE VALLEY OF THE SON OF HINNOM.
It became infamous because of terrible acts of idolatry committed there.
Jeremiah says:
“And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire...”
— Jeremiah 7:31
This valley therefore became associated with:
SIN.
JUDGMENT.
DEATH.
AND:
DIVINE PUNISHMENT.
QUICK FACT 272 — JEREMIAH CONNECTS THE VALLEY WITH SLAUGHTER
God continues:
“Therefore behold, the days are coming... when it will no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter...”
— Jeremiah 7:32
Notice:
“THE VALLEY OF SLAUGHTER.”
The judgment described involves:
DEATH.
Jeremiah continues by describing the corpses of the people becoming food for:
BIRDS
AND:
BEASTS.
— Jeremiah 7:33
The Old Testament background therefore does not naturally present the Valley of Hinnom as:
A PLACE CONTAINING IMMORTAL DISEMBODIED SOULS BEING TORTURED FOREVER.
Its imagery concerns:
JUDGMENT.
SLAUGHTER.
DEAD BODIES.
AND:
DESTRUCTION.
QUICK FACT 273 — JESUS SPEAKS OF THE WHOLE PERSON BEING THROWN INTO GEHENNA
This is another important point.
Jesus does not consistently describe Gehenna as merely the destination of an invisible soul.
For example:
“It is better for you that one of your members should perish, and not your whole body be cast into Gehenna.”
— Matthew 5:29, BLB
Again:
“it is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.”
— Matthew 18:8, BLB
The imagery concerns:
THE PERSON
and even:
THE BODY.
This fits Matthew 10:28:
“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”
QUICK FACT 274 — WHAT DOES “ETERNAL FIRE” MEAN?
Some may immediately object:
But Jesus speaks about:
“ETERNAL FIRE.”
Does that prove people remain consciously burning forever?
Not necessarily.
We must distinguish between:
A FIRE WHOSE JUDGMENT IS FINAL
and:
AN OBJECT THAT MUST BURN FOREVER WITHOUT BEING CONSUMED.
The Bible itself gives us an important example.
Jude says that:
“Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them... are set forth as an example, undergoing the penalty of eternal fire.”
— Jude 7, BLB
Notice:
SODOM AND GOMORRAH
experienced:
“ETERNAL FIRE.”
But are those cities:
STILL BURNING TODAY?
No.
The fire completely accomplished its judgment.
Therefore:
“ETERNAL FIRE”
does not automatically mean:
A FIRE MUST BE CONSCIOUSLY TORTURING PEOPLE FOR ALL ETERNITY.
It can describe a divine judgment whose:
RESULT
is permanent and irreversible.
QUICK FACT 275 — SODOM WAS REDUCED TO ASHES
Peter provides another important description.
God:
“having reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, condemned them to destruction, having set an example of what is coming on the ungodly.”
— 2 Peter 2:6, BLB
Notice the words:
“REDUCED... TO ASHES.”
And:
“DESTRUCTION.”
Peter says Sodom and Gomorrah are:
“AN EXAMPLE.”
What happened to them?
They were not preserved forever while continuously burning.
They were:
DESTROYED.
This provides an important biblical example for understanding the language of final judgment.
QUICK FACT 276 — “UNQUENCHABLE FIRE” DOES NOT MEAN THE OBJECT CAN NEVER FINISH BURNING
Jesus and John the Baptist also use the expression:
“UNQUENCHABLE FIRE.”
John says concerning the coming Messiah:
“His winnowing fork is in His hand... and He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
— Matthew 3:12, BLB
Notice what happens to:
THE CHAFF.
It is:
“BURNED UP.”
The point of:
“UNQUENCHABLE”
is not necessarily that the chaff remains burning forever.
Rather:
NO ONE CAN EXTINGUISH GOD'S JUDGMENT BEFORE IT ACCOMPLISHES ITS PURPOSE.
The fire cannot be:
STOPPED.
EXTINGUISHED.
OR:
DEFEATED.
It consumes the chaff.
QUICK FACT 277 — JEREMIAH ALSO DESCRIBES A FIRE THAT “WILL NOT BE QUENCHED”
This biblical usage becomes clearer in Jeremiah.
God warned Jerusalem:
“then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and will not be quenched.”
— Jeremiah 17:27
Jerusalem is not still:
BURNING TODAY.
The meaning was not:
THE BUILDINGS WILL BURN CONSCIOUSLY FOREVER.
The meaning was:
THE JUDGMENT WOULD NOT BE STOPPED.
The fire would accomplish:
DESTRUCTION.
Therefore:
“UNQUENCHABLE FIRE”
does not automatically mean:
ETERNAL CONSCIOUS TORMENT.
QUICK FACT 278 — WHAT ABOUT “THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE”?
Jesus also gives this warning concerning Gehenna:
“where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”
— Mark 9:48, BLB
This sounds terrifying.
But Jesus is drawing directly from:
ISAIAH 66:24.
And the Old Testament context is extremely important.
Isaiah says:
“And they will go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched...”
— Isaiah 66:24
Notice what the worms and fire are acting upon:
“THE DEAD BODIES.”
Not:
CONSCIOUS IMMORTAL SOULS.
The Hebrew refers to:
CORPSES.
The picture is one of:
COMPLETE AND SHAMEFUL DESTRUCTION.
QUICK FACT 279 — THE WORM AND FIRE BOTH REPRESENT IRREVERSIBLE DESTRUCTION
Isaiah's imagery contains two agents of destruction:
WORMS.
AND:
FIRE.
If something escaped the fire:
THE WORM CONSUMED IT.
If something escaped the worm:
THE FIRE CONSUMED IT.
The point is:
THE JUDGMENT CANNOT BE ESCAPED.
Again, the biblical picture concerns:
DEAD BODIES
and:
DESTRUCTION.
It does not explicitly describe:
IMMORTAL SOULS KEPT ALIVE FOREVER FOR THE PURPOSE OF TORTURE.
QUICK FACT 280 — JESUS' OWN WORD IN MATTHEW 10:28 REMAINS “DESTROY”
Now return to where we began:
“fear rather the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”
— Matthew 10:28, BLB
After examining:
GEHENNA.
THE VALLEY OF HINNOM.
SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
ETERNAL FIRE.
UNQUENCHABLE FIRE.
THE WORM THAT DOES NOT DIE.
AND:
ISAIAH'S DEAD BODIES,
we must not lose sight of Jesus' actual verb:
“DESTROY.”
Jesus does not say:
GOD WILL KEEP BOTH SOUL AND BODY ALIVE FOREVER IN GEHENNA.
He says:
GOD CAN:
“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY.”
This is extremely important.
PART 23 — FINAL CONCLUSION
Does Matthew 10:28 prove that the human soul is naturally immortal?
NO.
Jesus says the opposite of:
THE SOUL CANNOT BE DESTROYED.
He says:
GOD IS ABLE TO:
“DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN GEHENNA.”
The biblical picture is:
HUMAN BEINGS CAN KILL THE BODY.
↓
BUT THEY CANNOT CONTROL GOD'S PROMISE OF FUTURE LIFE.
↓
GOD CAN RAISE THE DEAD.
↓
AND GOD ALONE POSSESSES AUTHORITY OVER:
FINAL LIFE
AND:
FINAL DESTRUCTION.
The wider biblical contrast remains:
“THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH.”
— Romans 6:23
But:
“THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE.”
— Romans 6:23
And immortality is something the mortal must:
“PUT ON.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:53
Therefore Matthew 10:28 does not establish:
AN INDESTRUCTIBLE IMMORTAL HUMAN SOUL.
Instead it warns us that:
GOD ALONE
holds authority over the person's:
ULTIMATE LIFE
AND:
ULTIMATE DESTINY.
COMING NEXT:
PART 24 — “THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT”
DOES ECCLESIASTES 12:7 TEACH THAT A CONSCIOUS HUMAN SPIRIT GOES TO HEAVEN AT DEATH?
Ecclesiastes says:
“the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:7
This is one of the most important remaining passages.
Does:
“THE SPIRIT RETURNS TO GOD”
mean:
A CONSCIOUS PERSON LEAVES THE BODY AND GOES TO HEAVEN?
Or is Ecclesiastes describing the reversal of:
CREATION?
BODY:
RETURNS TO DUST.
↓
THE LIFE-BREATH GIVEN BY GOD:
RETURNS TO GOD.
To answer this we must return to:
GENESIS 2:7.
THE HEBREW WORD:
RUACH.
THE BREATH OF LIFE.
THE CREATION OF MAN.
AND:
ECCLESIASTES' OWN STATEMENTS ABOUT THE DEAD.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
COMPARE THE TRANSLATIONS.
EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW AND GREEK.
TEST EVERY TRADITION.
FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT LEADS.
For: Chapter 2: State of the Dead — Are the Dead Alive in Heaven or Asleep Awaiting the Resurrection?
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