Tuesday 14 September 2010

Is Soul-Sleep Scriptural?

When a believer's body dies, it is buried - but he, that is, his spirit, goes to be with the Lord. Paul said, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord". Paul wouldn't have described death as a "departure" if death meant staying in the ground with his dead body. He certainly wouldn't have described death as a "far better" option. To Paul, the death of the body meant to depart and be absent from the body and to go and be with the Lord in a far better existence.

Moses did die. That leaves only Enoch and Elijah who didn't die (as far as we know). But John saw 24 elders in heaven - not merely two. John also saw the souls of those who had been martyred, under the altar. He also saw multitudes from every ethnic group praising the Lamb in heaven.

It is only a person's body - the outer man - that awaits resurrection and, if he's a believer - glorification.

Paul wrote that "to be absent from the body" is "to be present with the Lord". Being "present with the Lord" must refer to the period of time in between when Paul would depart from his body, and his resurrection on the last day - because after the resurrection he would no longer be absent from his body!

It was revealed to John that far more than merely two men were active in heaven prior to their resurrection - namely, the 24 elders; the souls under the altar; a great company that had come out of great tribulation; and multitudes out of every tongue, tribe and nation who sang the praises of the Lamb. It is only the "outer man" - our body - who is silent in the grave and who "sleeps" (in death), awaiting the resurrection. The "inner man" is either carried immediately by the angels into heaven, or descends immediately into hell - depending on his works, whether good or bad.

Jesus said whoever believes in Him would never die. Our "outer man" - our body - does die - but as believers our "inner man" shall never die but is passed already from death (spiritual death) to life (eternal life). Eternal life of the spirit doesn't begin at the resurrection - it begins the moment a person believes. It is only the body which shall die - "sleep" or "rest" - awaiting the resurrection.

Paul said, speaking of those who have died, that Christ shall bring them with Him. Obviously then, they must presently be with Him where Christ is - that is, in heaven. When Christ comes, all who are in the graves shall hear His voice - that means, their physical bodies shall be brought back to life and shall physically hear Christ's voice and, having been reunited with the spirit shall physically rise. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation or the "second death".

The last enemy to be destroyed is physical death. Every other enemy was destroyed already, and received by faith. Physical death does not interrupt our unending enjoyment if those other victories - namely, of enjoying uninterrupted fellowship in spirit with the Lord!

It was revealed to John that death and hell (KJV) shall be cast into "the lake of fire" at the end. Evidently then there is a thing called hell (KJV) which is distinct from both the lake of fire and distinct from physical death. It is the place where the rich man lifted up his eyes being in torments. It is a place of flames. But it is distinct from the lake of fire into which the wicked shall be cast bodily after their physical resurrection at the end.

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