Soul Sleep Biblically Impossible

redleghunter

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22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

He desires to depart and die so that he can live again with Christ, when we pair this with what he said here
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.


We see that Paul knows/believes that a person does not dwell with the Lord until they are resurrected
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
This is the Resurrection not what Paul speaks of in what I cited.

Dead mortal body present with the Lord. That’s what the text says.
 
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Danthemailman

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The word "sleep" when referring to death, refers to the physical death of believers, not soul sleep (John 11:11-12; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:6,18,20,51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; 2 Peter 3:4).
 
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StephenDiscipleofYHWH

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No they are not. Jesus spoke a lot about Hades.

Hell and the lake of fire are two separate places. The misunderstanding of what/where hell actually is comes from Gehenna Originating in 1620's church Latin, post biblical Hebrew Gehinnom. It's meaning was used figuratively for a final resting place, and is often translated as hell when it is reffering instead to the lake of fire/place of everlasting punishment.


Strongs Concordance: 1067. Gehenna

Gehenna, and originally the name of a valley or cavity near Jerusalem, a place underneath the earth, a place of punishment for evil.

Of Hebrew origin (gay' and Hinnom); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment -- hell.


If we take the word back first to the original Greek it will bring us to Hades.

Strongs concordance: Hades 86.

The abode of Departed souls.

The Grave, Hell


Next we take it back to the original Hebrew word, Sheol.

Strongs Concordance: Sheol 7585.

Underworld. Place to which people descend at death.

Grave, Hell, Pit


Now there are multiple places in the bible that show the difference between the two, I am only going to show a few of the most Prominent. (Acts 2:27-31, 1 Peter 3:18-19, 2 Peter 2:4, Psalm 16:10, Revelation 20:13-14)


It's easy to see from these passages that the lake of fire and hell are two different places. For if they were they same how could Hell be cast into itself? Hell is the grave and is cast INTO the lake of fire after the heavens(First and second parts of Heaven) and earth are destroyed by fire at Christ's coming.

Hell is the grave.
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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Is the "text" like "the letter" that kills? Like so sad you don't understand ? (don't worry.... most don't) ..... just seek the truth, and keep seeking..... be willing and seeking Jesus .....
Actually, too, it is true, yet time has no meaning.... so you're not 'exactly' wrong, just other things you believe because of your error do not agree with Scripture always.

Upon death of our mortal bodies we are present with the Lord. The text actually says that.
 
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StephenDiscipleofYHWH

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The word "sleep" when referring to death, refers to the physical death of believers, not soul sleep (John 11:11-12; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:6,18,20,51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; 2 Peter 3:4).
Yes at physical death it says the body dies and the soul sleeps. Each of those passages say the body is dead but the man within the tabernacle of flesh, the spirit/soul of the person, lives on and sleeps.
 
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redleghunter

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Is the "text" like "the letter" that kills? Like so sad you don't understand ? (don't worry.... most don't) ..... just seek the truth, and keep seeking..... be willing and seeking Jesus .....
Actually, too, it is true, yet time has no meaning.... so you're not 'exactly' wrong, just other things you believe because of your error do not agree with Scripture always.
Paul mentions nothing about time. He mentions presence with the Lord. Again the text actually says this.
 
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redleghunter

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Yes at physical death it says the body dies and the soul sleeps. Each of those passages say the body is dead but the man within the tabernacle of flesh, the spirit/soul of the person, lives on and sleeps.
The text suggests nothing of the kind. Sleep is the euphemism for a dead body. Because it looks asleep.
 
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FireDragon76

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The response usually given to the above account of the Transfiguration is twofold:

1-This was a one time event
2-This was a vision of things to come

How would you respond to the above?

3 - symbolic significance, Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets.

No it doesn't. If you read Mathew's account of the Transfiguration you'll see that what they saw was a vision. Both Moses and Elijah were dead.

Elijah did not die, he ascended to heaven on a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2).

According to a common Jewish tradition at the time, Moses body was taken into heaven after his death. There are references to this in one of the epistles in the New Testament (Jude 1:9).

I don't believe soul sleep is consistent with the the belief of early Christians, but the Transfiguration is not the best argument for that.
 
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Saint Steven

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I don’t pretend to argue for soul sleep, but could it not be argued that the Transfiguration was a specific special occurrence that may not represent the state of all souls at all times? Clearly, the Transfiguration was used to send a message that Jesus was the Son of God, and Elijah and Moses were used as witnesses to that. Could God, in Holy Trinity, not have suspended the usual state of affairs for this unique occurrence?

(That said, I think there are other arguments against soul sleep - like the rich man and Lazarus - that speak more to the issue).
Interesting points. I think 90% of what I have learned about the state of the dead comes from the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Tons of information about the afterlife. Although it was a view from before the resurrection. So we have to bear that in mind.

One point that is overlooked concerning the Transfiguration is that Peter wanted to build shelters for the two visitors and Jesus. Many claim that the Transfiguration was a vision. But why would you build shelters for people in a vision? Apparently to Peter, they were living, breathing humans with a need for shelter.

Matthew 17:1-4
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
 
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