Actually, the soul does indeed leave the body upon death.
1 Kings 17:22 (KJV) And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
In order for the soul to come into the child again, the soul would first have to have left the body.
Scripture also reveals that the soul left Rachel's body...
Genesis 35:18 (KJV) And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
There is no such thing as soul sleep. When the mortal body dies, the body is committed to the ground, while the soul goes to either heaven or hell. If it goes to hell, it will experience all the torment of hell.
In the New Testament, the Word of God states:
2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV) We are confident,
I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Philippians 1:23 (KJV) For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
The basic meaning of death is separation. It has three different usages in the Bible in reference to man:
1. Spiritual death-separation from God because of sin:
Ephesians 2:1 (KJV) And you
hath he quickened, who were
dead in trespasses and sins;
John 5:24 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Colossians 2:13 (KJV) And you, being
dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
2. Physical death-separation of the spirit from the body:
Matthew 2:15 (KJV) And was there until the
death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Genesis 35:18 (KJV) And it came to pass,
as her soul was in departing,(for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
James 2:26 (KJV) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
3. Eternal death or Second death-the final, eternal separation of the unsaved from God and life:
Revelation 20:14 (KJV) And
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death.
Revelation 21:8 (KJV) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in
the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 (KJV) Who shall be punished with
everlasting (perpetual) destruction (ruin, i.e. death, punishment) from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
When you die, the physical body is buried in the GRAVE where it decomposes. The GRAVE is not Sheol or Hades. The soul departs and either goes to Hell ... if one dies without Christ....or to Heaven to be with the Lord (absent from the body, present with the Lord). Hell is not annihilation and those lost souls will remain in Hell (Hades) until they are judged at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Death and hell will be cast into the Lake of Fire...then those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Gehenna). This is eternal separation from God...forever and ever.
