FIFTH SEAL & SOUL SLEEP

[ATP]

Does the fifth seal prove that soul sleep is false? Rev 6:9-11 NIV.

 

[Barrd]

Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10 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?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

No, the fifth seal does not prove that soul sleep is false, as those waiting under the altar are told to "rest yet for a little season". Of course, this doesn't prove soul sleep is true, either.

What it does prove, beyond any shadow of any doubt, is that they are certainly NOT haunting any Hadean caverns as "disembodied spirits"...they are in Heaven, with God, under His altar.

 

[ATP]

Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10 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?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

No, the fifth seal does not prove that soul sleep is false, as those waiting under the altar are told to "rest yet for a little season". Of course, this doesn't prove soul sleep is true, either.

What it does prove, beyond any shadow of any doubt, is that they are certainly NOT haunting any Hadean caverns as "disembodied spirits"...they are in Heaven, with God, under His altar.

My argument is that if the breath of life (spirit) is taken from us at death, then how can these souls talk? That's what baffles me.

Job 34:14-15 NIV If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, 15all humanity would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
Eccl 12:7 NIV and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit (breath of life) returns to God who gave it.

 

[ATP]

"They had maintained" meaning they already died and have been resurrected at the first resurrection.
They are now waiting for God to pour out His wrath on the Day of the Lord and also the Great White Throne to avenge their blood.
We also receive white robes at rapture Rev 7:9 NIV.

Rev 6:9-11 NIV When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

 

[Barrd]

The word translated "rest" in that passage is "anapauo".


From Strong's Concordance:

ἀναπαύω

anapauō

an-ap-ow'-o

From G303 and G3973; (reflexively) to repose (literally or figuratively (be exempt), remain); by implication to refresh: - take ease, refresh, (give, take) rest.

 

[Barrd]

My argument is that if the breath of life (spirit) is taken from us at death, then how can these souls talk? That's what baffles me.

Job 34:14-15 NIV If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, 15all humanity would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
Eccl 12:7 NIV and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit (breath of life) returns to God who gave it.

Job 34:14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
Job 34:15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

Interesting verses...but you do know that the Bible cannot contradict itself, right?

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

I'm not sure that "spirit=breath of life"....but, in any case, it goes back to God Who gave it. So, I would assume that it is safe in His keeping.

 

[Born_Again]

I had a discussion a while back with some folks about this. It boiled down to what we do when we die. Do we lay comatose until He returns? The theory was when we die we awake to the return. Though we all die at different times, when we die, we all seem to be awaking to the 2nd coming simultaneously. Clear as mud? At the least, let that one stew....

 

[ATP]

I think the white robes at rapture is a dead give away. John was seeing a vision of the first resurrection, rapture and the 144,000. The end of Rev 6:11 is what I'm confused with. If the church is raptured then who are these fellow servants left behind?? My only guess would be the 144,000 in Rev 7:1-8 NIV, Rev 14:1-5 NIV. When the 144,000 are sealed they are protected from God's wrath when they enter the Day of the Lord. They are protected by trumpets and bowls, but they will be killed in other ways. Yes, that's it. I figured it out. Yeah me!!!!

Rev 6:11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

Rev 7:3 NIV Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

Soul sleep is truth. - ATP

 

[Barrd]

I had a discussion a while back with some folks about this. It boiled down to what we do when we die. Do we lay comatose until He returns? The theory was when we die we awake to the return. Though we all die at different times, when we die, we all seem to be awaking to the 2nd coming simultaneously. Clear as mud? At the least, let that one stew....

Hmm....on this side of death, that does sound like "soul sleep".
But on the other side of death....who knows?

We'll find out soon enough. Meantime, I'm content to "let that one stew"...