yet the Bible does not speak of an immortal part of us that leaves the body at death to go somewhere else.
Yes, it does.
Before Jesus came and atoned for our sins, no souls of the dead could ascend to heaven - as it is written, the blood of sacrifices done under the law of Moses could not take away sins - so there were TWO compartments in the heart of the earth, in Sheol, that held souls of the dead.
(As John 3 said - which was before Jesus died for our sins and made it possible for souls to go to heaven - no one had ascended to heaven - at that time).
One compartment, called Abraham’s bosom, aka paradise, held all the souls of righteous dead.
It was separated by a great chasm from the torments compartment that the damned were put in, called Hell.
Jesus tells us about this in Luke 16 starting in verse 19.
When Jesus died His spirit descended into the heart of the earth, and He preached to those spirits held in captivity there:
1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1Pe 3:19 By which also he went and PREACHED unto the SPIRITS in PRISON.
Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also DESCENDED first into the LOWER PARTS OF THE EARTH?
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
When He rose from the dead he emptied out the paradise compartment and took those souls with Him, which is why many dead people also rose and went into the city, after His resurrection:
Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves AFTER HIS RESURRECTION , and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Now the souls those who die in Christ go to paradise in heaven, instead of paradise in Sheol.
John the revelator was caught up into heaven, and saw SOULS who were killed on earth, who were asking God how long until those who killed them are punished.
Rev 6:9 Then the Lamb broke open the fifth seal. I saw underneath the altar the SOULS of those who had been killed because they had proclaimed God's word and had been faithful in their witnessing.
Rev 6:10 They shouted in a loud voice, "Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until you judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us?"
Rev 6:11 Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the complete number of other servants and believers were killed, as they had been.
Their bodies are dead, they were killed on earth, yet they are in heaven having a conversation with God.
You think hell is the grave?
It’s not. It’s a place in the earth that holds conscious beings in it, so that every knee bows to Jesus on judgment day, even those in hell:
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and THINGS UNDER THE EARTH.
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Rev 5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither UNDER THE EARTH, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, AND UNDER THE EARTH and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I SAYING , Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Hell is a place that Jesus said was originally created for satan and his fallen angels. And the damned are cast into that same place of everlasting fire.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Angels are spirits. Heb 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering SPIRITS sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Spirits have no bodies to bury in the ground, so hell cant be the grave.
And the angels in hell aren’t sleeping either. They are conscious, which is why they are chained to prevent their escape.
Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting CHAINS under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the ANGELS that sinned, but cast them down TO HELL and delivered them into CHAINS of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Soul sleep dogma claims that the soul and body take a dirt nap at physical death, meaning the soul is buried in the ground along with the body, thus it SLEEPS there.
Not true. In 1 Kings, Elijah prayed three times for a dead boys SOUL to come back into his body. When his SOUL returned to his body again, the dead child was alive again. His soul wasn’t asleep with his dead body, it had LEFT and had to return.
1Ki 17:20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
1Ki 17:21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's SOUL come INTO HIM AGAIN.
1Ki 17:22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the SOUL of the child CAME INTO HIM AGAIN and he revived.
1Ki 17:23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son LIVETH.
When Rachel was dying, her soul was departing.
Gen 35:18 And as her SOUL WAS DEPARTING (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
Gen 35:19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem),
