Soul Sleep False Doctrine

St_Worm2 said:

Hello @Love First, the historic Christian Church (all of it) has always held that the Sleep of the Soul during the Intermediate State is an heretical doctrine. Here are some of the passages that show us why.

Matthew 17
1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.
2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Luke 16
19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.
20 “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.
22 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’
25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’
27 “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—
28 for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
30 “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’
31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’

2 Corinthians 5
6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Philippians 1
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,
26 so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

Revelation 6
9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;
10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
​

Here are some of the arguments that are made against soul sleep on the basis of the Scriptures that I just posted above.

1) Moses and Elijah met with the Lord Jesus and the Apostles on top of the Mount of Transfiguration. If the doctrine of Soul Sleep is true, how were they able to do that?

2) How can those who are absent from the body make it their aim to do anything, much less to be well-pleasing to the Lord, if their souls are not conscious when they are with Him after they die?

3) How could Paul have possibly believed it better to depart and be with Christ, if "being with Christ" meant nothing more than lying interred in an unconscious state until the end of the age?

4) How could the Apostle say that, "to die is gain", if dying means nothing more than lying dead in the ground with our bodies until the resurrection?

5) Finally, how do those who are in Hades, Paradise, and/or under the altar in Heaven, "cry out in a loud voice", if their souls are not conscious in death
​

It's because of passages such as these that ALL of the churches and denominations within the pale of Christian orthodoxy (specifically), and Christianity (in general), continue to teach that the doctrine of the "Sleep of the Soul" is heretical ..

Yours and His,
David
p.s. - I did not get a chance to watch to the video that you posited for us in the OP yet. I'll try to do so later today. Thank you for posting that

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Micaiah-Imla said:

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." (1 Thessalonians 4:14)

We sleep in Jesus when we die. Then this happens:

"…all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-29)

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BobRyan said:

Adventists fully accept 1 Thess 4:13-18
Adventists fully accept Matt 10:28
Adventists fully accept Ezek 28:13-19
Adventists fully accept Christ's proof of the resurrection in Matt 22:29-34

And for some that might be "the issue"

==============================

I will start by quoting 1 Thess 4:13-18 since this is the text some may object to first.

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.



"Those WHO sleep" -- not "Those who have bodies that sleep"

John 11 "our FRIEND Lazarus sleeps - I go that I may wake HIM"


And then Matt 22

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.


=========== at death the body does not sleep - rather it is killed, destroyed, returned to dust.

Matt 10:28 - is the body asleep at death or is it annihilated at death? "return to dust"
(Hint we all agree - that the body sleeps each night but our soul is alive and so we wake up each morning)

Matt 10
28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

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Freth said:

Death is synonymous with sleep in scripture.

1. Lazarus dies and is called "asleep" by Jesus, even though he is clearly dead.

John 11:11-14 KJV These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth(a); but I go, that I may awake(b) him out of sleep(b). Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep(c). Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead(d).

(a) Strong's G2837 koimaō (sleepeth): to put to sleep, die
(b) Strong's G1852 exypnizō (awake): to awake out of sleep
(c) Strong's G5258 hypnos (sleep): sleep
(d) Strong's G599 apothnēskō (dead): dead
​

2. Moses is about to die and God tells him he will sleep (in death) with his fathers.

Deuteronomy 31:14,16 KJV And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die(a)... And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep(b) with thy fathers...​

(a) Strong's H4191 mûṯ (die): to die
(b) Strong's H7901 šāḵaḇ (sleep): to lie down (in death)​

3. Paul calls death sleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 KJV But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep(a), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep(a) in Jesus will God bringwith him. 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(a).​

(a) Strong's G2837 koimaō (asleep, sleep): to put to sleep, die​

4. The dead know nothing, according to Solomon in Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 KJV For the living know that they shall die(a): but the dead(a) know(b) not any thing(c), neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

(a) Strong's H4191 mûṯ (die, the dead): to die
(b) Strong's H3045 yāḏaʿ (know): to know
(c) Strong's H3972 mᵊ'ûmâ (not any thing): with negative, nothing​

Further (Ecclesiastes 9):

6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.​

10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
​

5. Psalms refers to death as sleep.

Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep(a) the sleep of death(b).

(a) Strong's H3462 yāšan: to sleep
(b) Strong's H4194 māveṯ: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead​

Psalms 76:6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep(a).​

(a) Strong's H7290 rāḏam (dead sleep): to be in a heavy sleep; stupefy (with sleep or death)​

6. Jesus and the ruler's daughter.

Matthew 9:18-19,24-26 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead(a): but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples... ...He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth(b). And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.​

(a) Strong's G5053 teleutaō (dead): to finish life (by implication, of G979), i.e. expire (demise):—be dead, decease, die
(b) Strong's G2518 katheudō (sleepeth): euphemistically, to be dead

This event can also be found in Mark 5 (Mark 5:39).
​

7. Death and hell are thrown into the lake of fire at judgment, because they are no longer necessary. Death being sleep, hell being the grave or holding place where the dead sleep (and as per Ecclesiastes, know not any thing).

Revelation 20:14 And death(a) and hell(b) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.​

(a) Strong's G2288 thanatos: the death of the body
(b) Strong's G86 : the place (state) of departed souls:—grave
​

8. Souls under the alter in heaven?

Revelation 6:9-10 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar(a) the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

(a) Strong's G2379 thysiastērion: altar of incense

Revelation is full of symbology. This particular verse is speaking of the altar of incense in the heavenly sanctuary, which is a symbol of prayer, or communication, with God. The "souls under the altar" is symbolic of their prayers for vengeance before their deaths, which linger at the altar of incense, in the heavenly sanctuary, until all is fulfilled and justice is done.
​

9. Luke 16, Lazarus, Abraham's bosom and hell.

Luke 16:19-31 is a parable about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus and should not be used in a literal sense concerning hell.
​

10. Even spiritual death is called sleep and death. Being awakened called rising from the dead (into life).

Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake(a) thou that sleepest(b), and arise(c) from the dead(d), and Christ shall give thee light.

(a) Strong's G1453 egeirō (awake): to arouse from sleep, awake; to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life
(b) Strong's G2518 katheudō (sleepest): euphemistically, to be dead
(c) Strong's G450 anistēmi: to raise up from the dead; cause to be born
(d) Strong's G3498 nekros: spiritually dead
​

11. We shall not all sleep.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep(a), but we shall all be changed [those alive at the second coming and those resurrected], 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.​

(a) Strong's G2837 koimaō (asleep, sleep): to put to sleep, die
​

12. Not being ignorant of those who are asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep(a), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

(a) Strong's G2837 koimaō (asleep, sleep): to put to sleep, die
​

13. Our fathers fell asleep.

2 Peter 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep(a), all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

(a) Strong's G2837 koimaō (asleep, sleep): to put to sleep, die
​

14. Job concerning death and sleep.

Job 14:10-12 But man dieth(a), and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost(b), and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down(c), and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake(d), nor be raised out of their sleep(e).​

(a) Strong's H4191 mûṯ (die, the dead): to die
(b) Strong's H1471 gāvaʿ (give up the ghost): to expire, die, perish, give up the ghost, yield up the ghost, be dead, be ready to die
(c) Strong's H7901 šāḵaḇ (sleep): to lie down (in death)
(d) Strong's H6974 qûṣ (awake): to awake, wake up
(e) Strong's H8142 šēnā' (sleep): sleep​

Conclusion:

There is overwhelming evidence that scripture wants us to associate sleep with death and that the dead know nothing, do not rise, do not have any participation in anything whatsoever until their resurrection. The use of "sleep" as a euphemism (a more kind way of saying someone is dead) doesn't seem to be the case across the board; and the language that points to the dead being dormant makes the understanding of death, as truly being sleep, clear in my view.

Matthew 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

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SabbathBlessings said:

I think @Freth made some really good points providing scriptures same with @BobRyan, you might want to consider in prayer what was shared with you instead of using the same term over and over without looking at the scriptures.

Thought I would share this bible study:

1. How did humans get here in the first place?
“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).

Answer: God made us from dust in the beginning.


2. What happens when a person dies?
“Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

Answer: The body turns to dust again, and the spirit goes back to God, who gave it. The spirit of every person who dies—whether saved or unsaved—returns to God at death.



3. What is the “spirit” that returns to God at death?
“The body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26).
“The spirit of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3 KJV).

Answer: The spirit that returns to God at death is the breath of life. Nowhere in all of God’s book does the “spirit” have any life, wisdom, or feeling after a person dies. It is the “breath of life” and nothing more.


4. What is a "soul"?
“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7 KJV).

Answer: A soul is a living being. A soul is always a combination of two things: body plus breath. A soul cannot exist unless body and breath are combined. God’s Word teaches that we are souls—not that we have souls.


Body(Dust) - Breath(Spirit) = Death (No Soul)
5. Do souls die?
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20 KJV).
“Every living soul died in the sea” (Revelation 16:3 KJV).

Answer: According to God’s Word, souls do die! We are souls, and souls die. Man is mortal (Job 4:17).
Only God is immortal (1 Timothy 6:15, 16). The concept of an undying, immortal soul is not found in the Bible, which teaches that souls are subject to death.


The Bible suggests that King David will be in God’s kingdom, but that he is in his grave now, where he awaits the resurrection.
6. Do good people go to heaven when they die?
“All who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth” (John 5:28, 29).
“David … is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. … For David did not ascend into the heavens” (Acts 2:29, 34).
“If I wait, the grave is mine house” (Job 17:13 KJV).

Answer: No. People do not go to heaven or to hell at death. They don’t go anywhere—but they wait in their graves for the resurrection.


7. How much does one know or comprehend after death?
“The living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun. … There is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10).
“The dead do not praise the Lord” (Psalm 115:17).

Answer: God says that the dead know absolutely nothing!



Though millions think it is possible, the dead cannot communicate with the living.
8. But can’t the dead communicate with the living, and aren’t they aware of what the living are doing?
“Man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep. … His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he does not perceive it” (Job 14:12, 21).
“Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:6).

Answer: No. The dead cannot contact the living, nor do they know what the living are doing. They are dead. Their thoughts have perished (Psalm 146:4 KJV).


9. Jesus called the unconscious state of the dead “sleep” in John 11:11–14. How long will they sleep?
“Man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more” (Job 14:12).
“The day of the Lord will come … in which the heavens will pass away” (2 Peter 3:10).

Answer: The dead will sleep until the great day of the Lord at the end of the world. In death humans are totally unconscious with no activity or knowledge of any kind.

10. What happens to the righteous dead at the second coming of Christ?
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. … And the dead in Christ will rise. … And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
“We shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye … and the dead will be raised incorruptible. … For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51–53).

Answer: They will be rewarded. They will be raised, given immortal bodies, and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. There would be no purpose in a resurrection if people were taken to heaven at death.


11. What was the devil’s first lie on Earth?
“The serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die’ ” (Genesis 3:4).
“That serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan” (Revelation 12:9).

Answer: You will not die.


12. Why did the devil lie to Eve about death? Could this subject be more important than we think?

Answer: The devil’s lie that we will not die is one of the pillars of his teachings. For thousands of years, he has worked powerful, deceptive miracles to trick people into thinking they are receiving messages from the spirits of the dead. (Examples: Magicians of Egypt—Exodus 7:11; Woman of Endor—1 Samuel 28:3–25; Sorcerers—Daniel 2:2; A slave girl—Acts 16:16–18.)

A Solemn Warning
In the near future, Satan will again use sorcery—as he did in the prophet Daniel’s day—to deceive the world (Revelation 18:23). Sorcery is a supernatural agency that claims to receive its power and wisdom from the spirits of the dead.

Posing as Jesus' Disciples
Posing as godly loved ones who have died, saintly clergymen who are now dead, Bible prophets, or even the apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13), Satan and his angels will deceive billions. Those who believe the dead are alive, in any form, will likely be deceived.


All miracle working is not from God, because devils also work miracles.


13. Do devils really work miracles?
“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles” (Revelation 16:14, KJV).
“False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).

Answer: Yes indeed! Devils work incredibly convincing miracles (Revelation 13:13, 14). Satan will appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and, even more shocking, as Christ Himself (Matthew 24:23, 24). The universal feeling will be that Christ and His angels are leading out in a fantastic worldwide revival. The entire emphasis will seem so spiritual and be so supernatural that only God’s elect will not be deceived.


14. Why will God's people not be deceived?
“They received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
“If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).

Answer: God’s people will know from their study of His book that the dead are dead, not alive. They will know that a “spirit” claiming to be a deceased loved one is really a devil! God’s people will reject all teachers and miracle workers who claim to receive special “light” or work miracles by contacting the spirits of the dead. And God’s people will likewise reject as dangerous and false all teachings that claim the dead are alive in any form, anywhere.



15. Back in Moses’ day, what did God command should be done to people who taught that the dead were alive?
“A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones” (Leviticus 20:27).

Answer: God insisted that mediums and others with “familiar spirits” (who claimed to be able to contact the dead) should be stoned to death. This shows how God regards the false teaching that the dead are alive.


16. Will the righteous people who are raised in the resurrection ever die again?
“Those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead … nor can they die anymore” (Luke 20:35, 36).

“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

Answer: No! Death, sorrow, crying, and tragedy will never enter into God’s new kingdom. “When this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ” (1 Corinthians 15:54).



17. Belief in reincarnation is expanding rapidly today. Is this teaching biblical?
“The living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing. … Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6).

Answer: Almost half the people on earth believe in reincarnation, a teaching that the soul never dies but is instead continually reborn in a different kind of body with each succeeding generation. This teaching, however, is contrary to Scripture.

The Bible Says
After death a person: returns to dust (Psalms 104:29), knows nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5), possesses no mental powers (Psalms 146:4), has nothing to do with anything on earth (Ecclesiastes 9:6), does not live (2 Kings 20:1), waits in the grave (Job 17:13), and continues not (Job 14:1, 2).

Satan's Invention
We learned in questions 11 and 12 that Satan invented the teaching that the dead are alive. Reincarnation, channeling, communication with spirits, spirit worship, and the "undying soul" are all inventions of Satan, with one aim to convince people that when you die you are not really dead. When people believe that the dead are alive, "spirits of devils, working miracles" (Revelation 16:14) and posing as spirits of the dead will be able to deceive and lead them astray virtually 100 percent of the time (Matthew 24:24).



Are The Dead Really Dead? | Bible Study Guides | Amazing Facts

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SabbathBlessings said:

This is not much of a discussion than as most posters prefer to discuss through Biblical scriptures and not biased videos. What was quoted was Biblical scripture not false doctrine.

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