State of the Dead
1. In the beginning, God formed man from dust and the breath of life
- Genesis 2:7 - And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
2. When a person dies, the body goes back to dust and the spirit goes back to God
- Psalm 104:29 - You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7 - Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
3. The "spirit" that returns to God at death is the breath of life (or His power)
- Job 27:3 - As long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils
- James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
4. A soul is a living being (dust + breath of life = soul). We do not have souls, but rather, we are souls!
- Genesis 2:7 - And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
5. According to the Bible, souls die
- Ezekiel 18:4 - Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.
- Ezekiel 18:20 - The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
6. According to the Bible, humans do not have immortality, but only God does
- 1 Timothy 1:17 - Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 1 Timothy 6:15-16 - 15which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
- Note that the Bible uses the word "soul" several hundred times, but never once uses "immortal soul"
7. People do not immediately go to heaven or hell at death. They go to the grave until the day of resurrection
- Job 17:13 - If I wait for the grave as my house, If I make my bed in the darkness,
- John 5:28-29 - 28Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
- Acts 2:29, 34 - 29Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day...34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand,
8. The dead cannot communicate with the living, nor they are aware of what the living are doing
- Job 14:12, 21 - 12So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake nor be roused from their sleep...21His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
- Psalm 115:17 - The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence.
- Psalm 146:40 - His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish.
- Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 - 5For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. 6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.
- Ecclesiastes 9:10 - Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
9. Jesus compares death to sleep
- John 11:11-14 - 11These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." 12Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." 13However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead."
10. The righteous will be ressurected and receive immortality when Jesus comes again
- Job 19:25-26 - 25For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 - 51Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."