I Am Afraid of Death
A woman once wrote to me, "I am depressed more often than not. I am also a little scared. A month after my mother did what she was put here to do, she died. Her death is the one death that I have understood. Though part of me doesn't care if I live or die, I am scared of death."
My answer was, God is the source of life. He made universe out of nothing. He raised the dead. We can face death unafraid if God is with us (Psalm 23:4). The question is whether or not God is truly with you. If you are one of His children, death is not the end (Isaiah 26:19; John 5:28-29). In fact one of the reasons we refer to ourselves as the “Ransomed” is because the Lord promised to ransom us from the power of Death (Hosea 13:14).
God the Father sent God the Son to the world in order to rescue us from our own stupid rebellious sin. We must accept that free gift and use the power it grants wisely so that we may be known truly as the Ransomed (John 3:16-21). If we do – we will be resurrected at the second coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Truly – death will have lost its sting (Luke 20:36).
My answer was, God is the source of life. He made universe out of nothing. He raised the dead. We can face death unafraid if God is with us (Psalm 23:4). The question is whether or not God is truly with you. If you are one of His children, death is not the end (Isaiah 26:19; John 5:28-29). In fact one of the reasons we refer to ourselves as the “Ransomed” is because the Lord promised to ransom us from the power of Death (Hosea 13:14).
God the Father sent God the Son to the world in order to rescue us from our own stupid rebellious sin. We must accept that free gift and use the power it grants wisely so that we may be known truly as the Ransomed (John 3:16-21). If we do – we will be resurrected at the second coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Truly – death will have lost its sting (Luke 20:36).
Are There Any Examples of the Unrighteous Dead Being Raised?
Going through the Bible in a systematic way I can only think of eight instances of individuals (other than the Lord Himself) being raised from the dead.
There was the Zarephathite widow’s son who was raised by the prophet Elijah.
The Shunammite woman’s son was raised by Elijah’s disciple Elisha.
The young man who was apparently raised by mere contact with Elisha’s bones.
The widow’s son that Jesus raised.
The synagogue leader Jairus’ daughter.
Probably the second most famous raising, Lazarus.
Tabitha/Dorcas was raised by the Apostle Peter.
Eutychus fell asleep during Paul’s sermon, fell out a window and down three stories. Paul raised him as well.
Of the eight examples I can think of, at least four are clearly children or teens and thus would come under the age of accountability:
A rather strong argument could be made that the widow’s son that Jesus raised would likely have been a teenager. The term Jesus used to address the corpse was neaniskos (Strong’s #3495). Neaniskos was routinely used in the sense of “youth”, “boy” or “lad”. Thus he very likely also fell under the age of accountability.
Of the three that remain two are definitely identified as righteous:
This leaves only the man who was raised by making contact with Elisha’s bones. There is no statement that I know of in regards to his spiritual state but I tend to assume that he was righteous from the fact that seven of the eight were either deliberately righteous (i.e. had chosen an obedient relationship with the Lord) or fell under the age of accountability.
Then one must consider the mass raising of the dead that took place at the moment of the Lord’s death.
Again we see that only the righteous dead were raised.
There is one more example that, though not an actual resurrection, I think pertains to the issue. That is the recall of Samuel’s spirit by the witch of Endor.
Though Samuel was not actually raised from the dead, the fact that his spirit was still conscious of what the current situation was and accurately predicted the next day’s events sheds some light on “that great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) that have gone on before us.
I do not (as some do) argue that this was not actually Samuel but some angel or demon. The text itself definitively identifies the person speaking as Samuel, above and beyond the witch’s testimony (who did not know Samuel well) and Saul’s (who did). Besides, Samuel’s spirit accurately repeated what Samuel in his corporeal life had often preached to the King and accurately predicted the next day’s events. The first of those two precludes a demonic presence and the second further identifies this spirit as the prophet Samuel.
The Bible categorically condemns the use of Spiritists, mediums and witches but it does not say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to contact the dead. It simply teaches that it is WRONG. Doing this added the long list of reasons why King Saul lost his kingdom.
And the Lord kept his word in regards to the punishment of someone who consults a witch. The very next day Saul and his sons died.
However, in getting back to the shayla you asked, even in this strange case it was a righteous man’s spirit who was raised.
So, in my opinion the unrighteous dead may not be raised. Even if we had the miraculous gift of raising the dead, the Spirit (who is the source of life in the first place and who was instrumental in the raising of the Master from the dead (Romans 8:11) would preclude the raising of the unrighteous.
We also need to give heed to the fact that in some 6,000 years of recorded biblical history only Elijah, Elisha, the Lord and the Apostle Peter were able to raise the dead. To count one’s self in that august company would, in my opinion, smack somewhat of hubris.
As a last note on the matter, I think it’s interesting to consider the case of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man ended up in the Gehenna (Hades) side of Sheol. Apparently he understood that he would not be given a second chance because he did not even asked to be raised from the dead – he asked that Lazarus, who was on the Gan Eden/Paradise/Abraham’s Bosom side of Sheol, be raised. For further information on the two compartments that were in Sheol prior to the Lord’s resurrection go consider the shayla “Did Jesus really descend to hell?” or “Do you believe in soul sleep?”
There was the Zarephathite widow’s son who was raised by the prophet Elijah.
- 1 Kings 17:17-24 HCSB After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him. (18) She said to Elijah, "Man of God, what do we have in common? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to kill my son?" (19) But Elijah said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. (20) Then he cried out to the LORD and said, "My LORD God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?" (21) Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the LORD and said, "My LORD God, please let this boy's life return to him!" (22) So the LORD listened to Elijah's voice, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. (23) Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, "Look, your son is alive." (24) Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know you are a man of God and the LORD's word in your mouth is the truth."
The Shunammite woman’s son was raised by Elijah’s disciple Elisha.
- 2 Kings 4:18-22 HCSB The child grew and one day went out to his father and the harvesters. (19) Suddenly, he complained to his father, "My head! My head!" His father told his servant, "Carry him to his mother." (20) So he picked him up and took him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon and then died. (21) Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut him in, and left. (22) She summoned her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can hurry to the man of God and then come back."
- 2 Kings 4:32-37 HCSB When Elisha got to the house, he discovered the boy lying dead on his bed. (33) So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. (34) Then he went up and lay on the boy: he put mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hand to hand. While he bent down over him, the boy's flesh became warm. (35) Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. (36) Elisha called Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite woman." He called her and she came. Then Elisha said, "Pick up your son." (37) She came, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; she picked up her son and left.
The young man who was apparently raised by mere contact with Elisha’s bones.
- 2 Kings 13:20-21 HCSB Then Elisha died and was buried. Now marauding bands of Moabites used to come into the land in the spring of the year. (21) Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a marauding band, so they threw the man into Elisha's tomb. When he touched Elisha's bones, the man revived and stood up!
The widow’s son that Jesus raised.
- Luke 7:12-16 HCSB Just as He neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was also with her. (13) When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, "Don't cry." (14) Then He came up and touched the open coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. And He said, "Young man, I tell you, get up!" (15) The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. (16) Then fear came over everyone, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us," and "God has visited His people."
The synagogue leader Jairus’ daughter.
- Luke 8:49-55 HCSB While He was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader's house, saying, "Your daughter is dead. Don't bother the Teacher anymore." (50) When Jesus heard it, He answered him, "Don't be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well." (51) After He came to the house, He let no one enter with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child's father and mother. (52) Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But He said, "Stop crying, for she is not dead but asleep." (53) They started laughing at Him, because they knew she was dead. (54) So He took her by the hand and called out, "Child, get up!" (55) Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then He gave orders that she be given something to eat.
Probably the second most famous raising, Lazarus.
- John 11:38-45 HCSB Then Jesus, angry in Himself again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. (39) "Remove the stone," Jesus said. Martha, the dead man's sister, told Him, "Lord, he already stinks. It's been four days." (40) Jesus said to her, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" (41) So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You heard Me. (42) I know that You always hear Me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so they may believe You sent Me." (43) After He said this, He shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" (44) The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him and let him go." (45) Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what He did believed in Him.
Tabitha/Dorcas was raised by the Apostle Peter.
- Acts 9:36-42 HCSB In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. She was always doing good works and acts of charity. (37) In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. (38) Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, "Don't delay in coming with us." (39) So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. (40) Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. (41) He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive. (42) This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
Eutychus fell asleep during Paul’s sermon, fell out a window and down three stories. Paul raised him as well.
- Acts 20:7-12 HCSB On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread. Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he extended his message until midnight. (8) There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, (9) and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on speaking. When he was overcome by sleep he fell down from the third story, and was picked up dead. (10) But Paul went down, threw himself on him, embraced him, and said, "Don't be alarmed, for his life is in him!" (11) After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, he conversed a considerable time until dawn. Then he left. (12) They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.
Of the eight examples I can think of, at least four are clearly children or teens and thus would come under the age of accountability:
- The Zarephathite widow’s son
- The Shunammite woman’s son
- The synagogue leader Jairus’ daughter
- Eutychus
A rather strong argument could be made that the widow’s son that Jesus raised would likely have been a teenager. The term Jesus used to address the corpse was neaniskos (Strong’s #3495). Neaniskos was routinely used in the sense of “youth”, “boy” or “lad”. Thus he very likely also fell under the age of accountability.
Of the three that remain two are definitely identified as righteous:
- Lazarus
- Tabitha/Dorcas
This leaves only the man who was raised by making contact with Elisha’s bones. There is no statement that I know of in regards to his spiritual state but I tend to assume that he was righteous from the fact that seven of the eight were either deliberately righteous (i.e. had chosen an obedient relationship with the Lord) or fell under the age of accountability.
Then one must consider the mass raising of the dead that took place at the moment of the Lord’s death.
- Matthew 27:50-53 HCSB Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. (51) Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. (52) The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised. (53) And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
Again we see that only the righteous dead were raised.
There is one more example that, though not an actual resurrection, I think pertains to the issue. That is the recall of Samuel’s spirit by the witch of Endor.
- 1 Samuel 28:6-19 HCSB He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him in dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets. (7) Saul then said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her." His servants replied, "There is a woman at Endor who is a medium." (8) Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes and set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, "Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I tell you." (9) But the woman said to him, "You surely know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why are you setting a trap for me to get me killed?" (10) Then Saul swore to her by the LORD: "As surely as the LORD lives, nothing bad will happen to you because of this." (11) "Who is it that you want me to bring up for you?" the woman asked. "Bring up Samuel for me," he answered. (12) When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, and then she asked Saul, "Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!" (13) But the king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?" "I see a spirit form coming up out of the earth," the woman answered. (14) Then Saul asked her, "What does he look like?" "An old man is coming up," she replied. "He's wearing a robe." Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed his face to the ground and paid homage. (15) "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Samuel asked Saul. "I'm in serious trouble," replied Saul. "The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He doesn't answer me any more, either through the prophets or in dreams. So I've called on you to tell me what I should do." (16) Samuel answered, "Since the LORD has turned away from you and has become your enemy, why are you asking me? (17) The LORD has done exactly what He said through me: The LORD has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David. (18) You did not obey the LORD and did not carry out His wrath against Amalek; therefore the LORD has done this to you today. (19) The LORD will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the LORD will hand Israel's army over to the Philistines."
Though Samuel was not actually raised from the dead, the fact that his spirit was still conscious of what the current situation was and accurately predicted the next day’s events sheds some light on “that great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) that have gone on before us.
I do not (as some do) argue that this was not actually Samuel but some angel or demon. The text itself definitively identifies the person speaking as Samuel, above and beyond the witch’s testimony (who did not know Samuel well) and Saul’s (who did). Besides, Samuel’s spirit accurately repeated what Samuel in his corporeal life had often preached to the King and accurately predicted the next day’s events. The first of those two precludes a demonic presence and the second further identifies this spirit as the prophet Samuel.
The Bible categorically condemns the use of Spiritists, mediums and witches but it does not say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to contact the dead. It simply teaches that it is WRONG. Doing this added the long list of reasons why King Saul lost his kingdom.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 HCSB Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD because he did not keep the LORD's word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, (14) but he did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
And the Lord kept his word in regards to the punishment of someone who consults a witch. The very next day Saul and his sons died.
- Leviticus 20:6 HCSB "Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists and prostitutes himself with them, I will turn against that person and cut him off from his people.
However, in getting back to the shayla you asked, even in this strange case it was a righteous man’s spirit who was raised.
So, in my opinion the unrighteous dead may not be raised. Even if we had the miraculous gift of raising the dead, the Spirit (who is the source of life in the first place and who was instrumental in the raising of the Master from the dead (Romans 8:11) would preclude the raising of the unrighteous.
We also need to give heed to the fact that in some 6,000 years of recorded biblical history only Elijah, Elisha, the Lord and the Apostle Peter were able to raise the dead. To count one’s self in that august company would, in my opinion, smack somewhat of hubris.
As a last note on the matter, I think it’s interesting to consider the case of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man ended up in the Gehenna (Hades) side of Sheol. Apparently he understood that he would not be given a second chance because he did not even asked to be raised from the dead – he asked that Lazarus, who was on the Gan Eden/Paradise/Abraham’s Bosom side of Sheol, be raised. For further information on the two compartments that were in Sheol prior to the Lord’s resurrection go consider the shayla “Did Jesus really descend to hell?” or “Do you believe in soul sleep?”
Do You Believe in Soul-Sleep?
When we die, will our souls sleep until the day of resurrection or will we be conscious and aware of our environment?
First, what is soul sleep?
For those who are unaware of the meaning of this term, allow me to briefly explain it before I answer the question. A minority of Christians (primarily Seventh Day Adventists) believe that upon death, our souls and spirits remain attached to our bodies and remain in the ground. They believe that when we die, we become unconscious and will remain so until our resurrection.
There is, at first blush, some biblical support for this view. Several Old Testament passages[1] seem to argue specifically for this point. Also, many argue that the fact that death is referred to as “sleep” also lends to this concept.[2]
Some basic cautionary principles of biblical interpretation:
First, we need to be cautious of building an entire doctrine based on four verses in the Bible. We must take the totality of the presentation of a biblical concept and allow that to interpret the minority of verses. To do it the other way around is to have the tail wag the dog.
Second, in biblical interpretation, we must be sure that we understand the perspective of the person making the statement. The Bible records thoughts and statements of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Even the righteous, being human, make untrue statements from time. Just because we find a given statement in the Bible does not necessarily make that statement true. For instance, Job’s friends said that his problems were due to sin on his part. That statement was patently untrue.
Again, consider the passage where Peter argues with Jesus that the Messiah should not discuss dying on the cross. Jesus’ response to this apostle (who would go on to preach the very first sermon of the church and lead thousands to the Lord in one day) was “Get behind me, Satan!”[3]
Third, we must take into consideration that human language itself presents certain inherent limitations. Though we understand that the Earth is a spinning ball that travels around Sol, we still refer to the periodic appearance of our star over the horizon as “sunrise” as though we are standing still and the sun is moving. It is simply a trick of the language, an easy way to refer to a daily fact from the perspective of a human. Similarly, there are passages in the Bible that are written using language that reflects the human perspective of the author.
Problem: failure of perspective
Psalm 6:4-5; 30:8-9; 88:10-12; 115:17 are just such passages. They are written from the perspective of the earthbound. When we look at the bodies of our dead loved ones, they appear still, unconscious and totally unable to do anything. The body has ceased moving and the person at times seems almost peacefully asleep.
It is interesting that in each of these passages, David is trying to argue with God for his life. He is in imminent physical danger and he is trying to give God good reason to keep him alive. If his spirit is in heaven, he may be able to praise God there but clearly he was of no more use to Elohim on Earth. “God,” he says, “I can’t do you much good if I’m dead! So keep me going.” I have made exactly the same bargain with Elohim on numerous occasions in my adventurous life.
Further, this fits neatly with our interpretation of many Wisdom Literature passages such as the book of Ecclesiastes. Though inspired by the Holy Spirit, it too was written from the point of view of earthbound philosophy as indicated by the often repeated phrase “under the sun.” As long as it deals with “under the sun” kind of philosophy, everything is “vanity of vanities.” The Teacher finally concludes that all we can do is fear God and keep His commands.
We must also consider that there is a difference between the death of believers and unbelievers. The term “sleep” is only used to describe the death of believers. The term sleep is used to describe the state of the body. Even in common every day sleep, the body is generally still but the soul (mind, will and emotions) and the spirit (that part of us that communicates with God) continue to be active. This describes in a particularly vivid manner the state of the righteous dead, don’t you think?
It is also important to note that in every case resurrection is discussed, it is the body – not the spirit - that is resurrected. If the soul/spirit is so closely associated with the body that it “goes to sleep” with the body, why is it that only the body needs to be resurrected?
Problem: hubris
One of the arguments “soul sleepers” make is that it would be cruel of God to snatch a spirit out of heaven and send it back to earth. Such an argument is not biblically based and presumes to know the mind of God.
Yahweh is not above seeming “callousness.” He is both the author of light and darkness, causing both well-being and calamity.[4] He did, after all, drown humanity like an unwanted puppy. He ordered the systematic destruction of civilizations at the hand of the righteous. He commanded his prophet into a loveless marriage with an unfaithful prostitute simply to serve as a sermon illustration. In fact, He was willing to sacrifice His own Son to a cruel and savage death on a Roman cross. Who are we to presume to understand what He considers cruel?
Problem: transfiguration
We read of the Master’s transfiguration[5] where Moses and Elijah appear on the Mount with Jesus and a few of His disciples. Elijah was taken to heaven alive.[6] Moses died and was buried.[7] Yet, on the occasion of the transfiguration, we see that Moses was just as consciously alive as Elijah. So we have a person who had been dead 1,500 years, a person who was simply taken alive to heaven and Person who was still living all discussing current events.[8]
Problem: Paul’s perception of death
Paul stated that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.[9] We are told that the Master was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand.[10] Weeks later, Stephen saw Jesus standing there in Heaven while he being stoned to death.[11] So if the Messiah is in heaven and death causes us to absent our body and be with Him, how does this fit with soul sleep?
Paul was all about serving Christ. In fact, he was emotionally torn between staying alive and serving Christ or dying and being with Christ. He considered dying and being with Christ “far better”.[12] Paul goes on to say, “Nevertheless, to be in the flesh is more needful for you.” Ultimately, he considered staying to help out the saints in the church and fulfill his ministry to be his duty.
I would like to ask, however, that if when we die our souls and spirits remain attached to our bodies that lie in the ground, is Christ in the ground? And if that were so, in what way is this condition “far better?”
Problem: The body and spirit separate at death.
Peter referred to death as “putting off his tabernacle”[13] as if our bodies are simply temporary dwelling places. He also told us that “the things which are seen” (describing our flesh) “perish” while the “things which are not seen” (describing our spirit) are “renewed every day” and “eternal.”[14] He states, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
James agreed, defining death as separation of the spirit from the body.[15] He doesn't say the spirit also dies, he says the body without the spirit dies. In this, he reflects the Old Testament example of Rachel’s death where her death is described as her soul departing her body.[16] Solomon taught[17] that at death the body goes into the ground while the spirit returns to God. His father, David, (who wrote the very passages mentioned above from which the “soul sleepers” argue) also agreed that upon death the spirit flies away.[18]
The Master taught that there was a difference in the condition of the soul and that of the body.[19] We are not to fear those who can only kill the body and not the soul. Clearly, He taught that the death of the body did not necessarily entail the “death” of the soul. The only time the death of both the body AND the soul occurs is in hell, according to Christ.
By the way, the word for “destruction” in this passage is aplollumi which can involve torment as well as the finality of death, but that is for an entirely different study.
Problem: John’s vision of heaven
John’s prophetic revelation of heaven is particularly informative. Prior to the rapture, while the Antichrist is yet able to “prevail against the saints”, John says that the spirits of dead saints will gather before the throne of God and cry out “how long will you allow this to continue?”.[20] Clearly, these folks are aware of their environment, conscious of the state of affairs on Earth, have passionate feelings about it and are able to communicate with God! This fits nicely with Hebrews’ referral to the righteous dead as a “great cloud of witnesses.”[21]
Problem: Christ’s teaching on “Paradise”
One last issue I have with the idea of soul sleep is that it fails to take into consideration the idea of Sheol. To better visualize the Hebrew idea of Sheol, consider the following:
Before the death burial and resurrection of our Master there used to be a place called Sheol or the Abode of the Dead where the righteous dead went to a compartment called Ganeden, Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom and the unrighteous dead went to a separate compartment known by the Jews as Gehenna and by the Greeks as Hades.
In Ephesians 4:8, we are told that when Jesus ascended on high, He “led captive a host of captives.” This is a quote and adaptation of Psalm 68:18. In 1 Peter 3:19, we see that Christ is said to have proclaimed the truth of His atonement to the dead, the “spirits now in prison.” If we compare that to Matthew 27:52 where the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised, we begin to get the following picture: Christ, upon His death, went to the compartment of sheol known as “paradise” or “Abraham’s Bosom”. Those people that had been waiting there, the righteous dead, were then delivered – some to be immediately resurrected and others to ascend to heaven. If the souls of the dead are unconscious, to whom did Christ preach?
Just before Jesus died, He promised the thief on the cross that they would be together in Paradise, not heaven.[22] Jesus had earlier described Sheol's Paradise[23] as being a place where souls were conscious and able to hold conversations. Some will argue that Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16 was a parable, but I’m not sure how that would invalidate the teaching even if it were true. Are they saying that Jesus taught untruths when speaking in parables? Did Jesus have a different eschatology when He spoke in parables? And I am not sure that the passage IS a parable. In what other parable did Jesus ever name a specific character?
Conclusion
There are too few verses and too many that are controversial in their interpretation, to warrant the development of a doctrine that goes directly against the clear teaching of the majority of Christians for two thousand years, and the apparent understanding of the afterlife of the pre-Christ saints for thousands of years before that.
We should not allow the “tail” to wag the dog in this, but instead, should allow the preponderance of Scripture to interpret the four or five verses that the “soul sleepers” use.
[1] Psalm 6:4-5; 30:8-9; 88:10-12; 115:17
[2] 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 1 Corinthians 15:20, 51
[3] Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33 cp Luke 4:5-8
[4] Isaiah 45:7
[5] Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36
[6] 2 Kings 2:11
[7] Deuteronomy 34:4-7 cp Jude 9
[8] Luke 9:31 cp Hebrews 12:1
[9] 2 Corinthians 5:8
[10] Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:10-12
[11] Acts 7:55
[12] Philippians 1:23-24
[13] 2 Peter 1:13
[14] 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
[15] James 2:26
[16] Genesis 35:18
[17] Ecclesiastes 12:6-7
[18] Psalm 90:10
[19] Matthew 10:28
[20] Revelation 6:9-11
[21] Hebrews 12:1
[22] Luke 23:43
[23] Luke 16:22-23
First, what is soul sleep?
For those who are unaware of the meaning of this term, allow me to briefly explain it before I answer the question. A minority of Christians (primarily Seventh Day Adventists) believe that upon death, our souls and spirits remain attached to our bodies and remain in the ground. They believe that when we die, we become unconscious and will remain so until our resurrection.
There is, at first blush, some biblical support for this view. Several Old Testament passages[1] seem to argue specifically for this point. Also, many argue that the fact that death is referred to as “sleep” also lends to this concept.[2]
Some basic cautionary principles of biblical interpretation:
First, we need to be cautious of building an entire doctrine based on four verses in the Bible. We must take the totality of the presentation of a biblical concept and allow that to interpret the minority of verses. To do it the other way around is to have the tail wag the dog.
Second, in biblical interpretation, we must be sure that we understand the perspective of the person making the statement. The Bible records thoughts and statements of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Even the righteous, being human, make untrue statements from time. Just because we find a given statement in the Bible does not necessarily make that statement true. For instance, Job’s friends said that his problems were due to sin on his part. That statement was patently untrue.
Again, consider the passage where Peter argues with Jesus that the Messiah should not discuss dying on the cross. Jesus’ response to this apostle (who would go on to preach the very first sermon of the church and lead thousands to the Lord in one day) was “Get behind me, Satan!”[3]
Third, we must take into consideration that human language itself presents certain inherent limitations. Though we understand that the Earth is a spinning ball that travels around Sol, we still refer to the periodic appearance of our star over the horizon as “sunrise” as though we are standing still and the sun is moving. It is simply a trick of the language, an easy way to refer to a daily fact from the perspective of a human. Similarly, there are passages in the Bible that are written using language that reflects the human perspective of the author.
Problem: failure of perspective
Psalm 6:4-5; 30:8-9; 88:10-12; 115:17 are just such passages. They are written from the perspective of the earthbound. When we look at the bodies of our dead loved ones, they appear still, unconscious and totally unable to do anything. The body has ceased moving and the person at times seems almost peacefully asleep.
It is interesting that in each of these passages, David is trying to argue with God for his life. He is in imminent physical danger and he is trying to give God good reason to keep him alive. If his spirit is in heaven, he may be able to praise God there but clearly he was of no more use to Elohim on Earth. “God,” he says, “I can’t do you much good if I’m dead! So keep me going.” I have made exactly the same bargain with Elohim on numerous occasions in my adventurous life.
Further, this fits neatly with our interpretation of many Wisdom Literature passages such as the book of Ecclesiastes. Though inspired by the Holy Spirit, it too was written from the point of view of earthbound philosophy as indicated by the often repeated phrase “under the sun.” As long as it deals with “under the sun” kind of philosophy, everything is “vanity of vanities.” The Teacher finally concludes that all we can do is fear God and keep His commands.
We must also consider that there is a difference between the death of believers and unbelievers. The term “sleep” is only used to describe the death of believers. The term sleep is used to describe the state of the body. Even in common every day sleep, the body is generally still but the soul (mind, will and emotions) and the spirit (that part of us that communicates with God) continue to be active. This describes in a particularly vivid manner the state of the righteous dead, don’t you think?
It is also important to note that in every case resurrection is discussed, it is the body – not the spirit - that is resurrected. If the soul/spirit is so closely associated with the body that it “goes to sleep” with the body, why is it that only the body needs to be resurrected?
Problem: hubris
One of the arguments “soul sleepers” make is that it would be cruel of God to snatch a spirit out of heaven and send it back to earth. Such an argument is not biblically based and presumes to know the mind of God.
Yahweh is not above seeming “callousness.” He is both the author of light and darkness, causing both well-being and calamity.[4] He did, after all, drown humanity like an unwanted puppy. He ordered the systematic destruction of civilizations at the hand of the righteous. He commanded his prophet into a loveless marriage with an unfaithful prostitute simply to serve as a sermon illustration. In fact, He was willing to sacrifice His own Son to a cruel and savage death on a Roman cross. Who are we to presume to understand what He considers cruel?
Problem: transfiguration
We read of the Master’s transfiguration[5] where Moses and Elijah appear on the Mount with Jesus and a few of His disciples. Elijah was taken to heaven alive.[6] Moses died and was buried.[7] Yet, on the occasion of the transfiguration, we see that Moses was just as consciously alive as Elijah. So we have a person who had been dead 1,500 years, a person who was simply taken alive to heaven and Person who was still living all discussing current events.[8]
Problem: Paul’s perception of death
Paul stated that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.[9] We are told that the Master was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand.[10] Weeks later, Stephen saw Jesus standing there in Heaven while he being stoned to death.[11] So if the Messiah is in heaven and death causes us to absent our body and be with Him, how does this fit with soul sleep?
Paul was all about serving Christ. In fact, he was emotionally torn between staying alive and serving Christ or dying and being with Christ. He considered dying and being with Christ “far better”.[12] Paul goes on to say, “Nevertheless, to be in the flesh is more needful for you.” Ultimately, he considered staying to help out the saints in the church and fulfill his ministry to be his duty.
I would like to ask, however, that if when we die our souls and spirits remain attached to our bodies that lie in the ground, is Christ in the ground? And if that were so, in what way is this condition “far better?”
Problem: The body and spirit separate at death.
Peter referred to death as “putting off his tabernacle”[13] as if our bodies are simply temporary dwelling places. He also told us that “the things which are seen” (describing our flesh) “perish” while the “things which are not seen” (describing our spirit) are “renewed every day” and “eternal.”[14] He states, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
James agreed, defining death as separation of the spirit from the body.[15] He doesn't say the spirit also dies, he says the body without the spirit dies. In this, he reflects the Old Testament example of Rachel’s death where her death is described as her soul departing her body.[16] Solomon taught[17] that at death the body goes into the ground while the spirit returns to God. His father, David, (who wrote the very passages mentioned above from which the “soul sleepers” argue) also agreed that upon death the spirit flies away.[18]
The Master taught that there was a difference in the condition of the soul and that of the body.[19] We are not to fear those who can only kill the body and not the soul. Clearly, He taught that the death of the body did not necessarily entail the “death” of the soul. The only time the death of both the body AND the soul occurs is in hell, according to Christ.
By the way, the word for “destruction” in this passage is aplollumi which can involve torment as well as the finality of death, but that is for an entirely different study.
Problem: John’s vision of heaven
John’s prophetic revelation of heaven is particularly informative. Prior to the rapture, while the Antichrist is yet able to “prevail against the saints”, John says that the spirits of dead saints will gather before the throne of God and cry out “how long will you allow this to continue?”.[20] Clearly, these folks are aware of their environment, conscious of the state of affairs on Earth, have passionate feelings about it and are able to communicate with God! This fits nicely with Hebrews’ referral to the righteous dead as a “great cloud of witnesses.”[21]
Problem: Christ’s teaching on “Paradise”
One last issue I have with the idea of soul sleep is that it fails to take into consideration the idea of Sheol. To better visualize the Hebrew idea of Sheol, consider the following:
Before the death burial and resurrection of our Master there used to be a place called Sheol or the Abode of the Dead where the righteous dead went to a compartment called Ganeden, Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom and the unrighteous dead went to a separate compartment known by the Jews as Gehenna and by the Greeks as Hades.
In Ephesians 4:8, we are told that when Jesus ascended on high, He “led captive a host of captives.” This is a quote and adaptation of Psalm 68:18. In 1 Peter 3:19, we see that Christ is said to have proclaimed the truth of His atonement to the dead, the “spirits now in prison.” If we compare that to Matthew 27:52 where the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised, we begin to get the following picture: Christ, upon His death, went to the compartment of sheol known as “paradise” or “Abraham’s Bosom”. Those people that had been waiting there, the righteous dead, were then delivered – some to be immediately resurrected and others to ascend to heaven. If the souls of the dead are unconscious, to whom did Christ preach?
Just before Jesus died, He promised the thief on the cross that they would be together in Paradise, not heaven.[22] Jesus had earlier described Sheol's Paradise[23] as being a place where souls were conscious and able to hold conversations. Some will argue that Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16 was a parable, but I’m not sure how that would invalidate the teaching even if it were true. Are they saying that Jesus taught untruths when speaking in parables? Did Jesus have a different eschatology when He spoke in parables? And I am not sure that the passage IS a parable. In what other parable did Jesus ever name a specific character?
Conclusion
There are too few verses and too many that are controversial in their interpretation, to warrant the development of a doctrine that goes directly against the clear teaching of the majority of Christians for two thousand years, and the apparent understanding of the afterlife of the pre-Christ saints for thousands of years before that.
We should not allow the “tail” to wag the dog in this, but instead, should allow the preponderance of Scripture to interpret the four or five verses that the “soul sleepers” use.
[1] Psalm 6:4-5; 30:8-9; 88:10-12; 115:17
[2] 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 1 Corinthians 15:20, 51
[3] Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33 cp Luke 4:5-8
[4] Isaiah 45:7
[5] Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36
[6] 2 Kings 2:11
[7] Deuteronomy 34:4-7 cp Jude 9
[8] Luke 9:31 cp Hebrews 12:1
[9] 2 Corinthians 5:8
[10] Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:10-12
[11] Acts 7:55
[12] Philippians 1:23-24
[13] 2 Peter 1:13
[14] 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
[15] James 2:26
[16] Genesis 35:18
[17] Ecclesiastes 12:6-7
[18] Psalm 90:10
[19] Matthew 10:28
[20] Revelation 6:9-11
[21] Hebrews 12:1
[22] Luke 23:43
[23] Luke 16:22-23
Does Everyone Get Judged At Once?
Does everyone get judged at the same time? If that is true, how could that be if everyone dies at a different time?
The Bible says,
The point of this concept is not that EVERYONE will die, because the Scriptures also teach that some will be alive when Christ returns.
So, the principle point of the passage in Hebrews is that as it is appointed to everyone to die once (countering the whole ‘reincarnation’ idea) Christ only had to die once for our sins (countering the whole Catholic ‘sacrifice God every time we have communion’ idea).
Notice however that the Bible does not say “it is appointed for people to die once – and after this all be judged AT once.” That is because there are two seats, or times of judgment. One is called the Bema Seat.
This judgment will not determine our salvation, which is determined by the placement of our faith in the Master, but to determine what rewards we have earned as His stewards (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5). We were given a glimpse of what that will be like in Jesus’ parable of the talents when the good steward was told,
The other seat of judgment is called the Great White Throne of Judgment. That is one that you want to avoid because its purpose is to determine the accused’s salvation and to get to the point – all those who appear before this Judgment are found guilty.
When the unrighteous die, their souls go to sheol (what the Greeks called Hades) where they await their judgment.
When the righteous die, their spirits wait in heaven for the Second Coming of Christ when they will be reunited with their “glorified” bodies. In this case “glorified” means changed and improved, the subject of which is for a entirely different meforshim.
At some point after Christ returns, everyone will appear before one of these two Judgments. Those who are in the Book of Life appear before the Bema Seat and then go on to their eternal bliss. Those who have been blotted out of the Book of Life by refusing Christ’s gift of salvation will be judged by their deeds alone, found lacking, and cast into the lake of fire.
The Bible says,
- Hebrews 9:27 HCSB “…it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment”.
The point of this concept is not that EVERYONE will die, because the Scriptures also teach that some will be alive when Christ returns.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15 HCSB “For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.”
So, the principle point of the passage in Hebrews is that as it is appointed to everyone to die once (countering the whole ‘reincarnation’ idea) Christ only had to die once for our sins (countering the whole Catholic ‘sacrifice God every time we have communion’ idea).
Notice however that the Bible does not say “it is appointed for people to die once – and after this all be judged AT once.” That is because there are two seats, or times of judgment. One is called the Bema Seat.
- Romans 14:10-12 HCSB But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God. 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 HCSB For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad.
This judgment will not determine our salvation, which is determined by the placement of our faith in the Master, but to determine what rewards we have earned as His stewards (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5). We were given a glimpse of what that will be like in Jesus’ parable of the talents when the good steward was told,
- Matthew 25:21 HCSB "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy!'
The other seat of judgment is called the Great White Throne of Judgment. That is one that you want to avoid because its purpose is to determine the accused’s salvation and to get to the point – all those who appear before this Judgment are found guilty.
- Revelation 20:11-15 HCSB Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
When the unrighteous die, their souls go to sheol (what the Greeks called Hades) where they await their judgment.
- Luke 16:22-24 HCSB One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side. 24 'Father Abraham! ' he called out, 'Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!'
When the righteous die, their spirits wait in heaven for the Second Coming of Christ when they will be reunited with their “glorified” bodies. In this case “glorified” means changed and improved, the subject of which is for a entirely different meforshim.
- 2 Corinthians 5:8 HCSB yet we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.
- Revelation 6:9-11 HCSB When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those slaughtered because of God's word and the testimony they had. 10 They cried out with a loud voice: "O Lord, holy and true, how long until You judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?" 11 So a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little while longer until [the number of] their fellow slaves and their brothers, who were going to be killed just as they had been, would be completed.
At some point after Christ returns, everyone will appear before one of these two Judgments. Those who are in the Book of Life appear before the Bema Seat and then go on to their eternal bliss. Those who have been blotted out of the Book of Life by refusing Christ’s gift of salvation will be judged by their deeds alone, found lacking, and cast into the lake of fire.
