Luke 12:32: “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.” (These do not include all who have exercised faith; the number is limited. Their being in heaven is for a purpose.)
So what will these 144,000 resurrected people do in the heavens? Revelation 20:4,6 says: “I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. . . . Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”
Friday, May 9, 2014
Resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous
“The righteous and the unrighteous.” The apostle Paul said to a group of Jews who also entertained the hope of a resurrection that “there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”—Ac 24:15.
Then the Bible calls faithful men of old such as Abraham righteous. (Genesis 15:6; James 2:21) Many of these men are listed at Hebrews chapter 11, and of them the writer says: “And yet all these, although they had witness borne to them through their faith, did not get the fulfillment of the promise, as God foresaw something better for us [spirit-begotten, anointed Christians like Paul], in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us.” (Hebrews 11:39, 40) So, the perfecting of them will take place after that of the ones having part in “the first resurrection.”
Then there is the “great crowd” described in Revelation chapter 7, who are not members of the 144,000 “sealed” ones, and who consequently do not have “the token” of the spirit as being spirit-begotten. (Ephesians 1:13, 14; 2Corinthians 5:5) They are described as coming “out of the great tribulation” as survivors of it; this would seem to locate the gathering of this group in the last days shortly before that tribulation. These are righteous through faith, being clothed in white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:1, 9-17) As a class, they will not need to be resurrected, but faithful ones of that group who die before the great tribulation will be resurrected in God’s due time.
Also, there are many “unrighteous” persons buried in Sheol (Hades), mankind’s common grave, or in “the sea,” watery graves. The judgment of these along with “the righteous” resurrected on earth is described in Revelation 20:12, 13: “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds.” How could they be resurrected if they were already previously resurrected to the heavens to be an angel? or to be already alive in any other life form in any other realm other than the earth? This wouldn't make any sense.
What is the meaning of John 5:28, 29?
It says: “All those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.” What Jesus said here must be understood in the light of the later revelation that he gave to John. (Revelation 20:12,13) Both those who formerly did good things and those who formerly practiced bad things will be “judged individually according to their deeds.”
What deeds?
If we were to take the view that people were going to be condemned on the basis of deeds in their past life, that would be inconsistent with Romans 6:7: “He who has died has been acquitted from his sin.” It would also be unreasonable to resurrect people simply for them to be destroyed. So, at John 5:28, 29a, Jesus was pointing ahead to the resurrection; then, in the remainder of John 5:29, he was expressing the outcome after they had been uplifted to human perfection and been put on judgment.
Who, then, are “the rest of the dead”?
They are all those of mankind who died as a result of Adamic sin and those who, though survivors of the great tribulation or those who may be born during the Millennium, need to be relieved of the death-dealing effects of such sin.—Compare Ephesians 2:1.
In what sense do they not “come to life” until the end of the thousand years?
This does not mean their resurrection. This ‘coming to life’ involves much more than merely existing as humans. It means attaining to human perfection, free from all effects of Adamic sin. Notice that the reference to this in Re 20 verse 5 occurs immediately after the preceding verse says that those who will be in heaven “came to life.” In their case it means life free from all effects of sin; they are even specially favored with immortality. (1 Cor. 15:54) For “the rest of the dead,” then, it must mean the fullness of life in human perfection.
Who will be included in the earthly resurrection?
John 5:28, 29: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice [the voice of Jesus] and come out.” (The Greek word translated “memorial tombs” is not the plural form of ta′phos [grave, an individual burial place] or hai′des [gravedom, the common grave of dead mankind] but is the plural dative form of mne·mei′on [remembrance, memorial tomb]. It lays stress on preserving memory of the deceased person. Not those whose memory was blotted out in Gehenna because of unforgivable sins but persons remembered by God will be resurrected with the opportunity to live forever. Matthew 10:28; Mark 3:29; Hebrews 10:26; Malachi 3:16
Acts 24:15: “I have hope toward God . . . that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Both those who lived in harmony with God’s righteous ways and people who, out of ignorance, did unrighteous p. 340things will be resurrected. The Bible does not answer all our questions as to whether certain specific individuals who have died will be resurrected. But we can be confident that God, who knows all the facts, will act impartially, with justice tempered by mercy that does not ignore his righteous standards. Compare Genesis 18:25.)
Revelation 20:13, 14: “The sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.” (So, those whose death was attributable to Adamic sin will be raised, whether they were buried at sea or in Hades, the common earthly grave of dead mankind.)
Then the Bible calls faithful men of old such as Abraham righteous. (Genesis 15:6; James 2:21) Many of these men are listed at Hebrews chapter 11, and of them the writer says: “And yet all these, although they had witness borne to them through their faith, did not get the fulfillment of the promise, as God foresaw something better for us [spirit-begotten, anointed Christians like Paul], in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us.” (Hebrews 11:39, 40) So, the perfecting of them will take place after that of the ones having part in “the first resurrection.”
Then there is the “great crowd” described in Revelation chapter 7, who are not members of the 144,000 “sealed” ones, and who consequently do not have “the token” of the spirit as being spirit-begotten. (Ephesians 1:13, 14; 2Corinthians 5:5) They are described as coming “out of the great tribulation” as survivors of it; this would seem to locate the gathering of this group in the last days shortly before that tribulation. These are righteous through faith, being clothed in white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:1, 9-17) As a class, they will not need to be resurrected, but faithful ones of that group who die before the great tribulation will be resurrected in God’s due time.
Also, there are many “unrighteous” persons buried in Sheol (Hades), mankind’s common grave, or in “the sea,” watery graves. The judgment of these along with “the righteous” resurrected on earth is described in Revelation 20:12, 13: “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds.” How could they be resurrected if they were already previously resurrected to the heavens to be an angel? or to be already alive in any other life form in any other realm other than the earth? This wouldn't make any sense.
What is the meaning of John 5:28, 29?
It says: “All those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.” What Jesus said here must be understood in the light of the later revelation that he gave to John. (Revelation 20:12,13) Both those who formerly did good things and those who formerly practiced bad things will be “judged individually according to their deeds.”
What deeds?
If we were to take the view that people were going to be condemned on the basis of deeds in their past life, that would be inconsistent with Romans 6:7: “He who has died has been acquitted from his sin.” It would also be unreasonable to resurrect people simply for them to be destroyed. So, at John 5:28, 29a, Jesus was pointing ahead to the resurrection; then, in the remainder of John 5:29, he was expressing the outcome after they had been uplifted to human perfection and been put on judgment.
Who, then, are “the rest of the dead”?
They are all those of mankind who died as a result of Adamic sin and those who, though survivors of the great tribulation or those who may be born during the Millennium, need to be relieved of the death-dealing effects of such sin.—Compare Ephesians 2:1.
In what sense do they not “come to life” until the end of the thousand years?
This does not mean their resurrection. This ‘coming to life’ involves much more than merely existing as humans. It means attaining to human perfection, free from all effects of Adamic sin. Notice that the reference to this in Re 20 verse 5 occurs immediately after the preceding verse says that those who will be in heaven “came to life.” In their case it means life free from all effects of sin; they are even specially favored with immortality. (1 Cor. 15:54) For “the rest of the dead,” then, it must mean the fullness of life in human perfection.
Who will be included in the earthly resurrection?
John 5:28, 29: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice [the voice of Jesus] and come out.” (The Greek word translated “memorial tombs” is not the plural form of ta′phos [grave, an individual burial place] or hai′des [gravedom, the common grave of dead mankind] but is the plural dative form of mne·mei′on [remembrance, memorial tomb]. It lays stress on preserving memory of the deceased person. Not those whose memory was blotted out in Gehenna because of unforgivable sins but persons remembered by God will be resurrected with the opportunity to live forever. Matthew 10:28; Mark 3:29; Hebrews 10:26; Malachi 3:16
Acts 24:15: “I have hope toward God . . . that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Both those who lived in harmony with God’s righteous ways and people who, out of ignorance, did unrighteous p. 340things will be resurrected. The Bible does not answer all our questions as to whether certain specific individuals who have died will be resurrected. But we can be confident that God, who knows all the facts, will act impartially, with justice tempered by mercy that does not ignore his righteous standards. Compare Genesis 18:25.)
Revelation 20:13, 14: “The sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.” (So, those whose death was attributable to Adamic sin will be raised, whether they were buried at sea or in Hades, the common earthly grave of dead mankind.)
Promise of a resurrection to life in Paradise
when you realize that people do not pass on to the spirit realm at death, the promise of everlasting life on a paradise earth takes on real meaning for you. During the resurrection, Revelation 21:4 says, "And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
While Jesus was hanging on a stake, one of the evildoers alongside him, observing that Jesus was not deserving of punishment, requested: “Jesus, remember me when you get into your kingdom.” Jesus replied: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42, 43) In effect, Jesus said: ‘On this dark day, when my claim to a kingdom is to outward appearances highly unlikely, you express faith. Indeed, when I do get into my kingdom, I will remember you.’ This would require a resurrection for the evildoer. This man was not a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. He had been engaged in wrongdoing, which was law-breaking meriting the death penalty. (Luke 23:40, 41) Therefore, he could not hope to be one of those receiving the first resurrection (or a resurrection to heavenly life, which was reserved for only 144,000 faithful followers of Jesus).
Jesus said that the evil doer would be in Paradise. The word means “a park or pleasure ground.” The Septuagint rendered the Hebrew word for “garden” (gan), as at Genesis 2:8, by the Greek word pa·ra′dei·sos. The paradise in which the evildoer will be would not be “the paradise of God” promised to “him that conquers,” at Revelation 2:7, for the evildoer was not a conqueror of the world with Jesus Christ. (John 16:33) The evildoer would therefore not be in the heavenly Kingdom as a member of it (Luke 22:28-30) but would be a subject of the Kingdom when those of “the first resurrection” would, as kings of God and Christ, sit on thrones, ruling with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4, 6.
If billions are to be raised from the dead, where will they all live?
A very liberal estimate of the number of people who have ever lived on earth is 20,000,000,000. As we have seen, not all of these will be resurrected. But, even if we assume that they would be, there would be ample room. The land surface of the earth at present is about 57,000,000 square miles (147,600,000 sq km). If half of that were set aside for other purposes, there would still be just around 7ac (if my math is correct) of land per person, which can provide more than enough food. At the root of present food shortages is not any inability of the earth to produce sufficient but, rather, political rivalry and commercial greed.
While Jesus was hanging on a stake, one of the evildoers alongside him, observing that Jesus was not deserving of punishment, requested: “Jesus, remember me when you get into your kingdom.” Jesus replied: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42, 43) In effect, Jesus said: ‘On this dark day, when my claim to a kingdom is to outward appearances highly unlikely, you express faith. Indeed, when I do get into my kingdom, I will remember you.’ This would require a resurrection for the evildoer. This man was not a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. He had been engaged in wrongdoing, which was law-breaking meriting the death penalty. (Luke 23:40, 41) Therefore, he could not hope to be one of those receiving the first resurrection (or a resurrection to heavenly life, which was reserved for only 144,000 faithful followers of Jesus).
Jesus said that the evil doer would be in Paradise. The word means “a park or pleasure ground.” The Septuagint rendered the Hebrew word for “garden” (gan), as at Genesis 2:8, by the Greek word pa·ra′dei·sos. The paradise in which the evildoer will be would not be “the paradise of God” promised to “him that conquers,” at Revelation 2:7, for the evildoer was not a conqueror of the world with Jesus Christ. (John 16:33) The evildoer would therefore not be in the heavenly Kingdom as a member of it (Luke 22:28-30) but would be a subject of the Kingdom when those of “the first resurrection” would, as kings of God and Christ, sit on thrones, ruling with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4, 6.
If billions are to be raised from the dead, where will they all live?
A very liberal estimate of the number of people who have ever lived on earth is 20,000,000,000. As we have seen, not all of these will be resurrected. But, even if we assume that they would be, there would be ample room. The land surface of the earth at present is about 57,000,000 square miles (147,600,000 sq km). If half of that were set aside for other purposes, there would still be just around 7ac (if my math is correct) of land per person, which can provide more than enough food. At the root of present food shortages is not any inability of the earth to produce sufficient but, rather, political rivalry and commercial greed.
Knowing the truth about death is beneficial for us
What the Bible teaches about the condition of the dead is comforting. As we have seen, the dead do not suffer pain or heartache. There is no reason to be afraid of them, for they cannot harm us. They do not need our help, and they cannot help us. We cannot speak with them, and they cannot speak with us. Many religious leaders falsely claim that they can help those who have died, and people who believe such leaders give them money. But knowing the truth protects us from being deceived by those who teach such lies. Some religions teach that if a person lives a bad life, after death he will go to a place of fiery torment to suffer forever. This teaching dishonors God. Jehovah is a God of love and would never make people suffer in this way. (1 John 4:8) How would you feel about a man who punished a disobedient child by holding his hands in a fire? Would you respect such a man? In fact, would you even want to get to know him? Definitely not! You would likely think that he was very cruel. Yet, Satan wants us to believe that Jehovah tortures people in fire forever—for countless billions of years!
Letter to a survivor:
It's been a couple of days now since the death of your friend and hopefully it has now become a little easier to deal with. I did some research for you and wanted to share with you some information I found. All the information I am sharing here comes from reasoning on the Bible, common sense and is mixed with a little scriptural logic. Over a course of some 40+ years of challenging various religions and books of knowledge, I have come to learn that this book, "The Bible" factually contains the very knowledge of God. The information I am about to share may appear to be lengthy, but if you choose to read it, even in part, I think it will address a lot of the same issues you had, concerns about and will be of benefit for you for now and in the future should another death surface in your life. I know that this research answered or addressed all of my questions satisfactorily and I just wanted to share it with you.
When a death occurs, common statements surface such as:
1. God wanted to pick the most beautiful flowers in the garden so he took the child, friend or loved one for himself.
2. So and so is happier now because God wanted so and so to be in heaven with him.
3. May the soul that never dies continue in its efforts to become one with the ultimate reality.
Some people question, "Do I believe in life after death?" Having been educated in different parts of the world, each person would give a different answer. One feels confident that their beloved would reincarnated to a life of greater status. Another believes that the dead are in a sense of sleep. Some feel that their friend is now a part of nature and has been reincarnated into a plant, animal of the ocean, bird in the sky or a powerful animal that fits his or her personality. And still another tries to accept the reality of death thinking that death is inevitable for all of us and that there is no way to tell what happens to us when we die, but knowing in his heart that we all die and will continue to die for the rest of eternity. These views only create more questions such as, "who knows? Are all these beliefs accurate? are none of them accurate? Is a portion of each of them accurate?" These questions and issues have perplexed mankind for eons of time. Seems like movies and books on end try to cover this subject and each one is different. Personally, I have come to believe that there is only one eventuality. I believe that there is an answer to the question, "What happens to us when we die?" There is only one complete truth.
As you have probably experienced in your life, beliefs about the soul are many and varied. Even among those that claim to base their beliefs on the Bible, there are differing ideas about what the soul is and what happens to it when we die. The Hebrew word Soul is "Nephesh" and according to my research, it occurs some 754 times in the Old testiment or the Hebrew Scriptures. As it was originally translated, The Dictionary of Bible and Religion says it refers to the entire living being, to the whole individual. For example, in Genesis 2:7 it states: "The Lord God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul." Note here that Adam did not have a soul; he was a soul. This understanding is supported throughout the entire Hebrew scriptures or “Old Testament” as some refer to it, where we find such phrases as "in case a soul sins" (Leviticus 5:1), "any soul that will do any sort of work" (Leviticus 23:30), "in case a man is found kidnapping a soul" (Deuteronomy 24:7), "how long will you men keep irritating my soul?" (Job 19:2), and my soul has been sleepless from grief." (Psalm 119:28) just to mention a few supporting scriptures. There is no indication in these passages that the soul is some shadowy entity that lives on after death. So to say that the soul is something within the body that leaves the body after death is not supported by the earlier texts where the soul is considered the body itself.
The word translated "soul" more than a hundred times in the Greek Scriptures or the New Testament as some call it, is "Psykhe". This word is translated some 100 times. A few examples are: "My soul is troubled." (John 12:27), "Fear began to fall upon every soul." (Acts 2:43), "Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities." (Romans 13:1), "Speak consolingly to the depressed souls." (1 Thessalonians 5:14), "A few people, that is, eight souls, were carried safely through the water." (1 Peter 3:20). Psykhe like Nephesh clearly refers to the whole person. The bible word for Soul applies not only to humans but also to animals. For example, in describing the creation of sea creatures, Genesis 1:20 says that God commanded: "Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls." compare too Numbers 31:28. So I have found that a soul can refer to either a human or an animal creature. But in all cases, the soul is the body not something within the body.
I believe that God created humans with a yearning and possibility to live forever. The Bible says that he put, "a sense of eternity in their hearts." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) I believe that God did more than give humans the desire to live forever, he also gave them the opportunity to do so. I believe that our first parents Adam and Eve were crated perfect, with no defect in mind or in body. (Deuteronomy 32:4) They were placed in a paradise home with the opportunity to live forever in that paradise, to be able to expand that paradise around the globe, living in peace and harmony with their surroundings for eternity. Adam was given a simple command, "From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction, but as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die." (Genesis 2:16-17) So eternal life for Adam and Eve was conditional. It depended upon their obedience to God. Tragically for all humankind, Adam and Eve disobeyed God's law. (Genesis 3:1-6). In doing so, they became sinners, and as a result they passed along to all mankind born after them the imperfection that they had now become. They had become defected. Since they had sinned, Adam and Eve no longer had the prospect of eternal life. Because the wages sin pays is death." (Romans 6:23). When pronouncing the sentence of death on Adam and Eve, God said: "Dust you are and to dust you will return." Our first parents were then expelled from their paradise home. On the day that they had sinned, Adam and Eve began the slow but steady process of dying. (Genesis 3:19, 23 & 24). For this reason, as Adams descendants all humans will continue to die to what is now known as a natural process of old age.
An interesting thing to think about at this point is if there was some sort of life after death in any form then the individual would not have died at all. He simply would have shed his body but his spirit and mind and personality would continue on. Does this seem logical when we read about Adam's condemnation of death? We have to remember God said to Adam that he would die. The condition of the dead is made clear at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 where it says, "The dead know nothing . . . there is no pursuit, no plan, no knowledge or intelligence within the grave of man." Death, therefore is a state of nonexistence. The psalmist wrote that when a person dies, "he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish." (Psalm 146:4). So the dead are unconscious and inactive. Before God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and gave him life, Adam did not exist. When Adam died, he returned to that state, the dust of the ground. His punishment was death, not a transfer to another realm. To illustrate: Electric current powers a piece of equipment. If the current stops, the equipment ceases to function. The current does not take on a life of its’ own. Similarly, when a person dies, his spirit ceases to animate the body cells. It does not leave the body and move on to another realm. (Psalm 104:29)
Think of another logic. If God simply wanted someone on earth to be with him in heaven, then why did he smash him into the dashboard of his car before he claimed him? Why, in the process, does God make such pain for all the remaining relatives and friends? Is it possible that there's another answer and that God is not involved in the death of the person at all? Is it possible that like the Bible says at Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned to see under the sun that the swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle, nor do the wise also have the food, nor do the understanding ones also have the riches, nor do even those having knowledge have the favor; because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all." All of this is no fault of God.
This issue then clearly needs to be researched since this one statement about death now raises more questions such as: What hope is there for the dead? What hope is there for those now living? Are we just going to continue to die for the rest of whatever? Is this cycle ever going to end? When, if ever, will things change? Clearly, according to the Bible, the soul & the body (both being one and the same) dies and the remedy for death is the resurrection, a resurrection back to life here on earth as a human at some future point in time.
All these questions have answers, as well as questions you may have on other subjects such as: When will this resurrection take place? Why does God permit wickedness? Why does God permit Wars? Who is this God who allows all this suffering to continue? and When if ever, does he plan to put an end to the problems of mankind? If you're ever interested in discussing any of these issues simply let me know of your interest and I will direct you to the answer as it is defined, answered and clarified for you in the Bible.
Education on this subject is critical since this knowledge will help us from feeling that life is of little or no value. That there is hope, That life is precious to Jehovah, That at all cost, life is worth living.
Letter to a survivor:
It's been a couple of days now since the death of your friend and hopefully it has now become a little easier to deal with. I did some research for you and wanted to share with you some information I found. All the information I am sharing here comes from reasoning on the Bible, common sense and is mixed with a little scriptural logic. Over a course of some 40+ years of challenging various religions and books of knowledge, I have come to learn that this book, "The Bible" factually contains the very knowledge of God. The information I am about to share may appear to be lengthy, but if you choose to read it, even in part, I think it will address a lot of the same issues you had, concerns about and will be of benefit for you for now and in the future should another death surface in your life. I know that this research answered or addressed all of my questions satisfactorily and I just wanted to share it with you.
When a death occurs, common statements surface such as:
1. God wanted to pick the most beautiful flowers in the garden so he took the child, friend or loved one for himself.
2. So and so is happier now because God wanted so and so to be in heaven with him.
3. May the soul that never dies continue in its efforts to become one with the ultimate reality.
Some people question, "Do I believe in life after death?" Having been educated in different parts of the world, each person would give a different answer. One feels confident that their beloved would reincarnated to a life of greater status. Another believes that the dead are in a sense of sleep. Some feel that their friend is now a part of nature and has been reincarnated into a plant, animal of the ocean, bird in the sky or a powerful animal that fits his or her personality. And still another tries to accept the reality of death thinking that death is inevitable for all of us and that there is no way to tell what happens to us when we die, but knowing in his heart that we all die and will continue to die for the rest of eternity. These views only create more questions such as, "who knows? Are all these beliefs accurate? are none of them accurate? Is a portion of each of them accurate?" These questions and issues have perplexed mankind for eons of time. Seems like movies and books on end try to cover this subject and each one is different. Personally, I have come to believe that there is only one eventuality. I believe that there is an answer to the question, "What happens to us when we die?" There is only one complete truth.
As you have probably experienced in your life, beliefs about the soul are many and varied. Even among those that claim to base their beliefs on the Bible, there are differing ideas about what the soul is and what happens to it when we die. The Hebrew word Soul is "Nephesh" and according to my research, it occurs some 754 times in the Old testiment or the Hebrew Scriptures. As it was originally translated, The Dictionary of Bible and Religion says it refers to the entire living being, to the whole individual. For example, in Genesis 2:7 it states: "The Lord God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul." Note here that Adam did not have a soul; he was a soul. This understanding is supported throughout the entire Hebrew scriptures or “Old Testament” as some refer to it, where we find such phrases as "in case a soul sins" (Leviticus 5:1), "any soul that will do any sort of work" (Leviticus 23:30), "in case a man is found kidnapping a soul" (Deuteronomy 24:7), "how long will you men keep irritating my soul?" (Job 19:2), and my soul has been sleepless from grief." (Psalm 119:28) just to mention a few supporting scriptures. There is no indication in these passages that the soul is some shadowy entity that lives on after death. So to say that the soul is something within the body that leaves the body after death is not supported by the earlier texts where the soul is considered the body itself.
The word translated "soul" more than a hundred times in the Greek Scriptures or the New Testament as some call it, is "Psykhe". This word is translated some 100 times. A few examples are: "My soul is troubled." (John 12:27), "Fear began to fall upon every soul." (Acts 2:43), "Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities." (Romans 13:1), "Speak consolingly to the depressed souls." (1 Thessalonians 5:14), "A few people, that is, eight souls, were carried safely through the water." (1 Peter 3:20). Psykhe like Nephesh clearly refers to the whole person. The bible word for Soul applies not only to humans but also to animals. For example, in describing the creation of sea creatures, Genesis 1:20 says that God commanded: "Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls." compare too Numbers 31:28. So I have found that a soul can refer to either a human or an animal creature. But in all cases, the soul is the body not something within the body.
I believe that God created humans with a yearning and possibility to live forever. The Bible says that he put, "a sense of eternity in their hearts." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) I believe that God did more than give humans the desire to live forever, he also gave them the opportunity to do so. I believe that our first parents Adam and Eve were crated perfect, with no defect in mind or in body. (Deuteronomy 32:4) They were placed in a paradise home with the opportunity to live forever in that paradise, to be able to expand that paradise around the globe, living in peace and harmony with their surroundings for eternity. Adam was given a simple command, "From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction, but as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die." (Genesis 2:16-17) So eternal life for Adam and Eve was conditional. It depended upon their obedience to God. Tragically for all humankind, Adam and Eve disobeyed God's law. (Genesis 3:1-6). In doing so, they became sinners, and as a result they passed along to all mankind born after them the imperfection that they had now become. They had become defected. Since they had sinned, Adam and Eve no longer had the prospect of eternal life. Because the wages sin pays is death." (Romans 6:23). When pronouncing the sentence of death on Adam and Eve, God said: "Dust you are and to dust you will return." Our first parents were then expelled from their paradise home. On the day that they had sinned, Adam and Eve began the slow but steady process of dying. (Genesis 3:19, 23 & 24). For this reason, as Adams descendants all humans will continue to die to what is now known as a natural process of old age.
An interesting thing to think about at this point is if there was some sort of life after death in any form then the individual would not have died at all. He simply would have shed his body but his spirit and mind and personality would continue on. Does this seem logical when we read about Adam's condemnation of death? We have to remember God said to Adam that he would die. The condition of the dead is made clear at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 where it says, "The dead know nothing . . . there is no pursuit, no plan, no knowledge or intelligence within the grave of man." Death, therefore is a state of nonexistence. The psalmist wrote that when a person dies, "he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish." (Psalm 146:4). So the dead are unconscious and inactive. Before God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and gave him life, Adam did not exist. When Adam died, he returned to that state, the dust of the ground. His punishment was death, not a transfer to another realm. To illustrate: Electric current powers a piece of equipment. If the current stops, the equipment ceases to function. The current does not take on a life of its’ own. Similarly, when a person dies, his spirit ceases to animate the body cells. It does not leave the body and move on to another realm. (Psalm 104:29)
Think of another logic. If God simply wanted someone on earth to be with him in heaven, then why did he smash him into the dashboard of his car before he claimed him? Why, in the process, does God make such pain for all the remaining relatives and friends? Is it possible that there's another answer and that God is not involved in the death of the person at all? Is it possible that like the Bible says at Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned to see under the sun that the swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle, nor do the wise also have the food, nor do the understanding ones also have the riches, nor do even those having knowledge have the favor; because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all." All of this is no fault of God.
This issue then clearly needs to be researched since this one statement about death now raises more questions such as: What hope is there for the dead? What hope is there for those now living? Are we just going to continue to die for the rest of whatever? Is this cycle ever going to end? When, if ever, will things change? Clearly, according to the Bible, the soul & the body (both being one and the same) dies and the remedy for death is the resurrection, a resurrection back to life here on earth as a human at some future point in time.
All these questions have answers, as well as questions you may have on other subjects such as: When will this resurrection take place? Why does God permit wickedness? Why does God permit Wars? Who is this God who allows all this suffering to continue? and When if ever, does he plan to put an end to the problems of mankind? If you're ever interested in discussing any of these issues simply let me know of your interest and I will direct you to the answer as it is defined, answered and clarified for you in the Bible.
Education on this subject is critical since this knowledge will help us from feeling that life is of little or no value. That there is hope, That life is precious to Jehovah, That at all cost, life is worth living.
Where are the dead?
The Bible explains: “Jehovah God made to grow out of the ground every tree desirable to one’s sight and good for food.” (Genesis 2:9) However, there was one restriction. Jehovah told Adam: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.” (Genesis 2:16, 17) This command was not difficult to obey. There were many other trees from which Adam and Eve could eat. But they now received a special opportunity to show their gratitude to the One who had given them everything, including perfect life. Their obedience would also show that they respected the authority of their heavenly Father and that they wanted his loving direction.
Sadly, the first human couple chose to disobey Jehovah. Speaking through a serpent, Satan asked Eve: “Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” Eve replied: “Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. But as for eating of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it that you do not die.’”—Genesis 3:1-3.
“You positively will not die,” said Satan. “God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Genesis 3:4, 5) Satan wanted Eve to believe that she would benefit by eating the forbidden fruit. According to him, she could decide for herself what was right and what was wrong; she could do what she wanted. Satan also charged that Jehovah had lied about the consequences of eating the fruit. Eve believed Satan. So she picked some of the fruit and ate it. She then gave some to her husband, and he too ate some of it. They did not act in ignorance. They knew that they were doing exactly what God had told them not to do. By eating the fruit, they deliberately disobeyed a simple and reasonable command. They showed contempt for their heavenly Father and his authority. Such disrespect for their loving Creator was inexcusable!
Jehovah had no reason to sustain disobedient Adam and Eve forever. They died, just as he had said they would. Adam and Eve ceased to exist. They did not pass on to the spirit realm. We know this because of what Jehovah said to Adam after confronting him with his disobedience. God said: “You [will] return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) God had made Adam from the dust of the ground. (Genesis 2:7) Before that, Adam did not exist. Therefore, when Jehovah said that Adam would return to the dust, He meant that Adam would return to a state of nonexistence. Adam would be as lifeless as the dust from which he was made.
Adam and Eve could have been alive today, but they died because they chose to disobey God and thus sinned. The reason we die is that Adam’s sinful condition as well as death was passed on to all of his descendants. (Romans 5:12) That sin is like a terrible inherited disease from which no one can escape. Its consequence, death, is a curse. Death is an enemy, not a friend. (1 Corinthians 15:26) How grateful we can be that Jehovah provided the ransom to rescue us from this dreadful enemy!
The Bible teaches that the dead are sleeping and that we should worship only the true God, Jehovah, our Creator and Provider.—Revelation 4:11 that says, "
Sadly, the first human couple chose to disobey Jehovah. Speaking through a serpent, Satan asked Eve: “Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” Eve replied: “Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. But as for eating of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it that you do not die.’”—Genesis 3:1-3.
“You positively will not die,” said Satan. “God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Genesis 3:4, 5) Satan wanted Eve to believe that she would benefit by eating the forbidden fruit. According to him, she could decide for herself what was right and what was wrong; she could do what she wanted. Satan also charged that Jehovah had lied about the consequences of eating the fruit. Eve believed Satan. So she picked some of the fruit and ate it. She then gave some to her husband, and he too ate some of it. They did not act in ignorance. They knew that they were doing exactly what God had told them not to do. By eating the fruit, they deliberately disobeyed a simple and reasonable command. They showed contempt for their heavenly Father and his authority. Such disrespect for their loving Creator was inexcusable!
Jehovah had no reason to sustain disobedient Adam and Eve forever. They died, just as he had said they would. Adam and Eve ceased to exist. They did not pass on to the spirit realm. We know this because of what Jehovah said to Adam after confronting him with his disobedience. God said: “You [will] return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) God had made Adam from the dust of the ground. (Genesis 2:7) Before that, Adam did not exist. Therefore, when Jehovah said that Adam would return to the dust, He meant that Adam would return to a state of nonexistence. Adam would be as lifeless as the dust from which he was made.
Adam and Eve could have been alive today, but they died because they chose to disobey God and thus sinned. The reason we die is that Adam’s sinful condition as well as death was passed on to all of his descendants. (Romans 5:12) That sin is like a terrible inherited disease from which no one can escape. Its consequence, death, is a curse. Death is an enemy, not a friend. (1 Corinthians 15:26) How grateful we can be that Jehovah provided the ransom to rescue us from this dreadful enemy!
The Bible teaches that the dead are sleeping and that we should worship only the true God, Jehovah, our Creator and Provider.—Revelation 4:11 that says, "
Why do we get old and die?
Genesis 3:1-5 recounts a story, an event that took place in the Garden of Eden. Gen3:1 Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” 2 At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. 3 But God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’” 4 At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. 5 For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.” There was never a definition or explanation of what death was during this accounting of this event, so it must be concluded that both Adam and Eve knew what death was. Jehovah must have explained it to them at some earlier time. At Genesis 3:17-19 Jehovah further explains to Adam the sentence of death. It reads, 17 "And to Adam he said: “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree concerning which I gave you this command, ‘You must not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. 18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, and you must eat the vegetation of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.”
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