Wake is bodily alive
Sleep us bodily dead
Yet as it says, even the dead live together with HIM
That is perhaps the way you interpret what you read….but is your interpretation in line with what the rest of what the Scriptures say? Or is it colored by Christendom’s adopted belief in “immortality of the human soul”? Did Jesus teach this? Was it a Jewish belief originally?
In its teachings from early times, Christendom adopted many beliefs from pagan ideas, and grafted them into Scripture. Ambiguous verses that lent themselves to mistranslation and misinterpretation were presented as scriptural fact, when a little study would have revealed that these ideas were not ever part of Christ’s teachings. Jesus used the Hebrew Scriptures exclusively in his teachings. He told his Jewish audience that he was only teaching them, what his Father had taught him. (John 7:16) He revealed new facets in his teachings but not a completely new god with a completely new agenda.
The idea that the “soul” and the “spirit” are one and the same reveals the root of this problem. According to the Hebrew Scriptures, a “soul” is a living, breathing creature…..both humans and animals are called “souls” in the Bible….souls are entirely mortal….they all have “one spirit”, which Solomon describes as the “breath” that keeps them all living.
Eccl 3:18-20….
”I also said in my heart about the sons of men that the true God will test them and show them that they are like animals, 19 for there is an outcome for humans and an outcome for animals; they all have the same outcome. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit. So man has no superiority over animals, for everything is futile. 20 All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust.”
Was Solomon mistaken?
Adam was created as a “soul”, whom God brought to life by giving him “breath”. (spirit). Like animals, we become “souls” when we start breathing. When breathing ceases, we die…..there is no ‘immortal soul or spirit’ inherent in any earthly creature. We are by design, entirely mortal. Death is the end of life…but temporarily.
The word “soul” in Hebrew is “
nᵊšāmâ”…..but what God put into Adam to make him a living “soul” was the “breath of life”.…”
nep̄eš”. These two words had completely different meanings to Jesus‘ Jewish audience.
It was the pagan Greeks who believed in immortal souls. Their influence tainted both Jewish and Christian teachings. Both fell into apostasy and false religious beliefs, as the Scriptures clearly tell us.
So they who are dead do not simply cease to exist as if they never were until the resurrection
Since the resurrection is a “restoration of life”, NOT “a continuation” of it, the ones who have died are out of existence, but not out of the memory of the one who will recreate them and implant their personality and memories into a new body.
God tells us that he knows the names of all the stars he created…..do we not have faith that he will remember a few million humans who have drawn the breath he gave them?
The dead “sleep” because for us we know what “sleeping” means…..it is a temporary condition with the absence of consciousness, (Eccl 9,5, 10) but in the knowledge that an awakening is expected the next day.
We don’t fear sleep, so why do we fear death?
When people are placed in an induced coma, they have no memory of the passing of time…..sleep is the same. We don’t know when we fell asleep but when we awaken it is usually the next day and a whole night has passed without us being consciously aware of it. Why else would Jesus call death “sleep”?
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Metaphor is read when we have a good grasp of Scripture through careful study. This is a classic example of reading more into a verse than what is actually stated.
11 Therefore [
a]comfort each other and [
b]edify one another, just as you also are doing.
Further proof sleep is used to describe physical death
Yes….”sleep is used to describe physical death”….but why? What do we humans know about “sleep” that makes our inevitable death, less dreadful?…..was it something to be feared? Was it something that would take us to the opposite destinations of “heaven or hell”? There is not one statement in the Bible to confirm that there ever was such an option. Again, careful study will reveal that God’s people were offered only two options….not “heaven or hell”….but ”life or death”. (Deut 30:19-20)
Physical death was the inevitable consequence of sin, but the only way to gain hope was to do the will of God, so that he would remember you in the resurrection. Those not remembered by God would stay in their grave permanently……everlasting death is the opposite of everlasting life……these were the only options for Jews…..Jesus did not change that, but his figurative language was used to promote something he never taught.
29 For he who eats and drinks [
a]in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the [
b]Lord’s body.
30 For this reason many
are weak and sick among you, and many [
c]sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
This is speaking of the partaking of the bread and wine as Christ instructed his disciples to do as a remembrance of him. It replaced the Jewish Passover as “the Lamb of God” had offered his sacrifice “once for all time”.
To partake of those precious emblems unworthily was to bring judgment upon themselves. To claim to be one of God’s elect (chosen ones) who were to rule with Christ in his Kingdom, (Rev 20:6) was to bring judgment upon the one partaking of it when they were not chosen to be part of that heavenly arrangement.
Not all Christians are heaven bound…..those aware of God’s original purpose would understand this. He did not create the earth as a training ground for heaven….it was to be our permanent home. (Isa 45:18)
Christendom has their members partaking of those emblems on a weekly basis when they are not of the elect…..judgment will be passed as Jesus said it would.
Those stuck in the divided and disunited church system, will never see the command in Rev 18:4-5 as pertaining to themselves. If they stay, they will be judged accordingly…..
If you cannot identify “Babylon the great”, how will you know why you have to “get out of” that spiritually immoral “city”?
