Not just a 'reunion', a transformation. But you haven't mentioned why we need transformed bodies if the soul encompasses our identity.
Past resurrections did not include a transformation, that is not a required component of "resurrection" but is rather a unique element that will be necessitated only at the coming of Christ. The resurrection is only for those who are dead in Christ, those who are alive get caught up and transformed, not resurrected.
The soul is the seat of our identity, the glorified bodies are simply the shells we will obtain that will allow us a physical existence in the New Jerusalem, as mortal bodies cannot be in the presence of a holy God. You do not understand the necessity nor the significance of the glorified body, it is not negated by the soul of man. It is for the believer to be conformed to the likeness of Christ so as to allow our existence in the very presence of God.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Anyway, where does Paul say in Philippians that it is the believer's soul that goes to be with Christ?
Absent from the body --> present with the Lord. (2 Cor.5:6-8)
23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Philippians 1:23)
Paul understand his departure from his physical body equated with him going to be with Christ.
I'm not saying spirit=soul. I am asking why souls have to be intrinsically eternal, when spirits don't. Why there can't be an animals soul that returns to the dust like its spirit does.
You do not understand the difference between the two, that is the cause for your confusion. It is not "spirits" (plural) but rather "spirit" (singular), it is simply the borrowed breath of God that gives life to
all living beings.
Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?
The spirit (singular) of men (plural)
-A single, common substance.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls;
Your (men = plural) souls (plural).
-Individual, unique possessions
That is
precisely what the scriptures reveal, "spirit" is intrinsic in its nature of simply being the breath of life (no eternal component whatsoever, it is absolutely exclusive to physical existence) whereas souls are intrinsic in their eternal nature, as they are in need of redemption in order to reverse the eternal disposition from Gehenna to the presence of a Holy God.
How can you say that when Genesis uses exactly the same term describing Adam being a living soul nephesh chai as it uses for animals? Here is an intersting verse where translators tie themselves up in knot to avoid saying animals have souls
Lev 17:11 AV For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
The only problem is 'life' and 'soul' are the same word. here is how Darby translates it
Lev 17:11 Darby for the soul of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul.
Of course you touch on the real problem with the word soul, that it may simply mean we have the breath of life, that we are alive and breathing. This come out more clearly in some modern translations
Lev 17:11 NIV For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for ones life.
Lev 17:11 NLT for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.
Lev 17:11 NRSV For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar; for, as life, it is the blood that makes atonement.
But if you want to be consistent, either animals have souls or soul simply means 'life'.
It is not a question of what you deem to be consistent. The life of flesh is in the blood --> pertains to physical life, blood is physical. Nephesh is a word referencing the tangible (PHYSICAL) aspects of life COMMON TO ALL LIVING BEINGS. This makes atonement for the soul --> soul is not physical, it is a spiritual component. Darby translates it wrongfully, and note that the souls belong to man --> "your" souls, like I said you cannot seem to understand "souls" are always used consistently in the context of belonging to men and never animals. Atonement is not needed for animals because animals do not have souls that require atonement in the first place.
And yet you give no scriptural basis for this.
Mankind inescapably are set with an eternal disposition, and are thus beings of an eternal nature.
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell."
"The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet
are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever...
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John,[
a] saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God."
Mankind possess souls-->the element of human existence requiring atonement, atonement being
needed for the capacity to
sin.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." (Lev.17:11)
The identity of man does not/cannot pass into non-existence at death.
-Isaiah 14/Revelations 20:11
The eternal disposition of man and his soul are inextricably linked in scripture. This is an obvious and clear Biblical principle you do not seem to understand.
You don't actually know the nature of the new creation to make such a claim, though I doubt the new earth will cater for an animist view of rocks, you still have animals sharing in the new creation.
And this bears absolutely no significance to the argument at hand, as it does not show any evidence for/against the animal soul. They will simply be present, evidently.
Show me where I am wrong then. From the text preferably.
I said in my heart, Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.
The text is clear, it is not meant to connect men with beasts in any literal form whatsoever, it is simply a theological simile.
Rev 20:15 does not mention souls, though it does follow the judgement before the great white throne, where they certainly were before God. It is fascinating though that you seem to be proposing people's souls and spirits whizzing off in different directions after death.
Does not mention souls? The
dead are being judged, and in what
form do you think they are? It is the
souls of all the dead, and they are being judged --> can you not understand this is only accomplished due to their identities being
in tact and in existence. Does not Christ tell us both body and
soul get thrown into gehenna? A body is given
only prior to the individual being tossed into Gehenna. You do not seem to want to make the connections.
Proposing? If you do not want to trust scripture, that is your issue. Are you not able to follow simple, scriptural truths? Ecclesiastes 12 makes it clear the "breath" that God gives
all living flesh returns to Him at death. Do the souls of all men go to God at death? If you have read the Bible enough you will know the answer, it is not what I am proposing, it is what scripture is saying. Spirit is simply the
breath of life.
Oddly enough, that is the meaning of nephesh too.
"nephesh" delineates the tangible aspects of all living flesh, this much is clear, as it is a reference to the physical life --> blood. Soul is not physical nor tangible.
When Jesus spoke of Gehenna it was the body being thrown into Gehenna or the body and soul being destroyed there. Not the soul going there on its own.
He confirmed both body and soul, He speaks about the very thing I am trying to make clear to you --> the eternal disposition of the soul in Gehenna. You are missing the point completely here, it is perfectly evident nonetheless.