~ Featured Inside ~

Sha1om Aleichem,

      Peace be unto you. May the fullness of our Father’s love and peace reside in your hearts as we await the great day of our resurrection to eternal life, at the coming of our Husband, Lord and Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach.

~ No Peace in Europe ~

      While we pray for peace for all the earth, and especially for our Brethren in Yeshua the Messiah, it appears that the world in general is not in a state of peace, but is on the brink of war.
      At this juncture, the state of affairs in Yugoslavia seems to be worsening each day. Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of ethnic Albanians have already fled the Yugoslav province of Kosovo as the Serb army continues its ground war against them. Meanwhile, NATO continues to bomb Serb military sites in both Kosovo and Serbia. The result being that the ‘ethnic cleansing,’ which NATO is supposed to be ending may actually be ahead of schedule.
      Meanwhile, the wave of refugees into nearby Albania, Macedonia and the Yugoslav province of Montenegro, is causing political instability in those areas. One can only guess at the final outcome, but it appears that everyone involved, including the NATO alliance, will end up being losers.

~ Historical Background ~

      It is important, when trying to assess the meaning and causes of any war, to become informed about the position of both sides, for there are two sides to every story. In the United States, the public (for the most part) has been informed of only one side of this conflict; that of the ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo. In the U.S., Slobodan Milosevic is portrayed as little more than a Balkan thug, nevertheless he has nearly the full support of the Serb people. The reason for this is very complex. It is not just an ethnic hatred; it has to do with the lost ‘heartland’ of Serbia.
      To fully understand the story, one must go back over six hundred years, to the time when the Ottoman Empire, led by the Turks, was on the rise. This was a Moslem nation bent on carrying the sword of Islam into all of Europe, converting many of the Christians to the Moslem faith under pain of death. They succeeded in conquering a fair piece of real estate on both the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. One of the countries the Ottomans invaded successfully was the Serb heartland; what is now called Kosovo, where the Serb Christians were first defeated in 1389.
      Once the Ottoman Empire was established, they allowed the conquered Christian princes to return to their lands as vassals to the Moslems. The subjects were free to follow their own religions as long as they paid a head tax. However, the sultans who ruled the Ottoman Empire made every effort to convert the young Christian men to Islam by offering them jobs in the military and government administration. Many took this opportunity to improve their position in life by become Moslem. This was especially true in Albania, where the vast majority converted to the Islamic faith.
      It was not until 1829 that Serbia once again became autonomous. In 1878 they were recognized as having complete independence. The Serbs regained control of Kosovo in the Balkan Wars of 1912-13. In 1918, Serbia and Kosovo became a part of a greater Yugoslavia that encompassed all of the South Slav peoples.
      There were always disputes and wars between the Orthodox Christian Serbs and the Moslems living within the borders of Yugoslavia. Also, there were conflicts between the Christian Serbs and the Moslem Albanians. These two groups of people lived at peace only when forced to do so by a powerful central government. This was the case when Marshal Tito (Josip Broz) ruled the Yugoslav government as a Communist federation beginning in 1945.
      In 1974, Kosovo became overrun by ethnic Albanians who migrated into the region in mass. As a result, most of the Serb Christians were forced to leave the region. Until the recent fighting, ethnic Albanians made up 82 percent of Kosovo’s population. It must be remembered these were people who had little historic tie to the region. Only about 4 percent of the population of Kosovo is currently Serb.
      The current war, from the Serb point of view, is to take back what they feel rightfully belongs to them. They want to drive the ethnic Albanians back into their own country and allow the Serb Christians to “take back the land.” Does this give Milosevic the right to commit genocide? Of course not. But it does help explain the root cause of the enmity.
      Into this ancient conflict, comes the United States and its NATO allies, trying to police a settlement based on the current situation, not taking into account the intense emotional ties that the Serb people have with the ‘heartland’ of their people.

~ Kosovo: A Warm Up For Israel? ~

      While the current conflict will probably not lead directly to a larger war within Europe or with Russia, it does give us pause to consider if it might be a foretaste of things to come in another part of the world. Consider the present situation in Israel. The so-called ‘West Bank’ comprises the ‘heartland’ (if you will) of both the ancient kingdoms of the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In actual fact, the Scriptural references to the “Mountains of Israel” include the territory that is almost entirely within the ‘West Bank,’ and which is being considered for Palestmian autonomy and a possible future Palestinian state.
      While the Oslo Accord and the more recent Wye Agreement both stipulate that the final status of a possible Palestinian State must be negotiated by both the Israelis and the Palestinians, Yassar Arafat continues to announce that he will unilaterally proclaim a Palestinian State on May 4, 1999. Such a proclamation would be totally against the agreements that he himself has signed.
      If Arafat does proclaim an independent state, the outcome will be war. If war ensues, with which side will the nations of the world align themselves? If Kosovo is any indication, it will be with the Moslem Palestinians, even though the Israelis have never acted toward the Palestinians the way Milosevic has acted toward the ethnic Albanians of Kosovo. In this respect, the roles are actually reversed in the Middle East. Although there have been isolated incidents where Israeli citizens have taken it upon themselves to retaliate against the Palestinians, the real terrorist activity has been conducted by the Palestinians against the Israelis. Let us not forget that the primary desire of all the Arab groups and nations in the Middle East is to totally eliminate the Jews from that area; “to drive them into the sea.

~ Europe Union Backs the Palestinians ~

      The European Union (EU) has already declared that it backs a Palestinian State and will probably be the first to recognize it as such if Arafat makes that proclamation in May. The big question is, what will the U.S. do? If the statements of the first lady, Hillary Clinton, are any indication, this administration will do the same. If such is the case, and Israel goes to War, we could literally see the armies of the world arrayed against the Jewish state of Israel. Certainly we live in the most interesting and perilous of times. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.

~ Your Support ~

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Freely you have received, freely give.
(Matt. 10:8b)

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~ This Issue ~

      Yeshua’s resurrection gives hope to all Believers.
      It is our belief that just as Yeshua was resurrected from death to life, likewise we will be also, when He returns to claim us as His Bride.
      It is for this reason that, in this issue, we have written three articles; each respectively taking a look at death, resurrection and the afterlife: The Sting of Death, The Hope of the Resurrection, and Who Has Ascended?
      We pray these articles will prove to be both stimulating and thought provoking. If they cause you to go to your Bibles and do an in-depth study yourself, all the better. For it is written:

“Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
(I Thess. 5:21)

~ Tape Offer ~

      Again we offer two taped messages with this issue. The first tape is Part V of the Early Church Series entitled: Synagogue Organization. The second tape is being prepared in anticipation of Shavu’ot (Shaw-voo-oat = Pentecost) which occurs this year near the end of May. This tape is called: Quench Not the Spirit.
      If you wish to obtain either or both of these tapes, please complete and return the enclosed Offer Form, with the appropriate boxes checked.
      May YHVH bless you abundantly as you seek to worship Him in Spirit and in truth and...

            May the peace of God
             be with you always,

            Dean & Susan Wheelock

Sting

      An ancient adage states there are only two things one can be sure of in this life; death and taxes. When a person is young, neither of these seem important, but as one grows older, death in particular begins to loom ever larger. Often times young people behave as though they are immortal, since death seems very remote to them. However, as people mature, they begin to understand mortality more fully, and their perception of death changes from a remote possibility into a harsh reality that must be faced.
      Neil Gillman, who is Chair of the Department of Jewish Philosophy at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, has written a very interesting book entitled; The Death of Death. Gillman has this to say about death:
      “To insist on the finality of death is to condemn the totality of human life to meaninglessness. Human life cannot be fulfilled here on earth. We are born and grow into adulthood with hopes and visions, goals and ideals, yet most of us prepare to die with a haunting sense of potentials unfulfilled, aspirations unrealized, relationships unresolved, accounts still not balanced. Our life-experience is inevitably fragmented.” (P. 249)

      How we react to our own mortality, and the approach of death, is a direct reflection of our personal belief system. In both Christian and Jewish theology a great deal of confusion exists on just what constitutes death and whether or not one can expect an afterlife. For those who do believe in an afterlife, there is additional disagreement concerning just when that afterlife begins, who will be included in it, and what it will be like.
      Certainly, in the secular world, it should come as no surprise that such confusion exists, for some people have had what is commonly called a “near-death” experience; where their heart and respiratory system had ceased to function, but were brought back to “life” by medical professionals. During this time, some have witnessed to having had an out of body experience; having been able to look down upon their bodies being worked upon by the doctors and nurses, hearing all that was said, and seeing all that was taking place. Others relate what they believe to have been a journey into another realm, where they claim to have seen departed relatives and/or fnends who have preceded them in death. Some say they were told to go back, for their time had not yet come.
      Of course, the records also include the stories of others who have “died” on the operating table and been brought back to life, having had no recollection at all of any “out of body” experience or of any “journey” into another realm.
It is not the purpose of this article to support or reject the claims of people who have had these “near-death” experiences. To the individuals involved, these experiences are real beyond doubt. Some, who hold to the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul, see these experiences as proof positive for their theological position. Others look upon such experiences as similar to vivid dreams which sometimes take place in response to what the body is experiencing. Still others see such experiences as having been programmed by God and placed in the human mind or spirit so that a person is able to exit this human life in the easiest possible manner, psychologically speaking.

~ A Scriptural Foundation ~

      However, as Believers in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) we accept the Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, as the revealed word of God. Therefore, we look into the Scriptures and base our beliefs on what they teach, rather than on the testimony of others, no matter how credible that testimony may seem to be, for we believe, as it is written that:

      “All Scrinture is given by insniration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
(II Tim. 3:16-17)

      Armed with this understanding, knowing that the Scriptures contain the answers to our deepest and most intimate questions about life and death, let us first explore the realm of death; then in the following article, The Hope of the Resurrection, we will continue with a look at how death can be overcome.

~ Death, the Nemesis of Life ~

      There are many mysteries inherent to human life. None of us asked to be born, but we were, and we had no control over who our parents would be, or what might be the circumstances of our life. Some of us were born to poverty, others to riches, while most were born to an existence somewhere in between. Our gender, race, and the social status of our families at our birth were all totally out of our control. For most people, their religion has also been directly related to where, and to whom they were born; and unless they have had a personal encounter with their Creator and/or Savior, as did Shaul (Shah-ool = Saul) on the road to Damascus, most people tend to believe much the same as their parents or the society around them.
      Yet, almost all people, no matter what their religion, would probably agree that death is the cessation of physical life and therefore an enemy to our physical existence. For this reason death is fought, delayed and even cheated, if possible. But eventually death always wins, for as it is written:

“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;”
(Eccl. 3:1-2a)

~ Three Views of The State of the Dead ~

      Before proceeding, it is important to understand the various theories concerning the state of the dead. We can then compare these with what the scriptures tell us about what actually constitutes death. Within each of these three beliefs there are certain variations, depending upon the understanding of the particular sects (churches) which hold them. All three of these beliefs find adherents in both modern Judaism.. and Christianity. We will cover them briefly and then focus in on the Scriptural view point.

* Cessation of Life *

      As was already mentioned, death can be defined as the cessation of physical life. Breathing stops, the blood which carries the necessary oxygen and nutrients throughout the body ceases to flow, and the physical body dies. This is true for humans and animals alike. This observation was made by King Solomon, when he wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes under the pseudonym of “the Preacher:”

      “I said in my heart ‘Concerning the estate of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like beasts.’
      “For what happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.”
(Eccl. 3:18-20)

      This point of view squares with what HaShem (Hah-Shem = the Name or YHVH) told Adam on the day of sin when he and his wife Chava (Hah-vah = Eve) ate of the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

“‘Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”’
(Gen. 3:17b-19)

      This seems to be a rather dismal assessment of the state of human life. Man is born, man lives, man dies, just like an animal. Man was formed from the dust of the earth, and he returns to that state after death. It is precisely because of this point of view that the “the Preacher” opens the book of Ecclesiastes with these words:

“‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher;
‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’
What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun?
One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever.”
(Eccl. 1:2-4)

      This view is held by many people, especially those who do not have strong religious convictions. Man is born, he lives his life for better or for worse, and then he dies and that is that. No afterlife, no resurrection, no immortal soul. No conscious life once this physical one is finished. People with this view claim that if man has any immortality whatsoever, it is in the work they do, or the legacy they leave through their children, or in the organic material from their bodies that goes back to the soil to fertilize the growth of other life forms on the earth.
      Yet, despite all of this talk about the vanity of life, the Preacher does seem to understand that there must be more to life than just being born, living a human life, and dying, for when he comes to the very end of the book of Ecclesiastes he indicates that something yet lies ahead other than complete oblivion:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether it is good or whether it is evil.”
(Eccl. 12:13-14)

      The Preacher does not seem to understand exactly how this future judgment of human works will take place, but his statement does imply that the dead will somehow know the outcome. If this were not so, there would be no point in having a post life judgment. The Preacher also questions the possibility that an afterlife might be in store for humans when he speculates:

      “Who knows if a man’s lifebreath does rise upward and if a beast’s breath does sink down into the earth?”
(Eccl. 3:21 Tanakh)

      The Preacher would like to think that such is the case, but he just does not know and is not afraid to admit his ignorance; a refreshing position for a “Preacher” to take.

* The Immortality of the Soul *

      Probably the most common afterlife belief found among both Christians and Jews, is in the Immortality of the Soul. In this belief system the body and the soul are considered to be two separate entities which have been joined together at birth. Thus, the physical body becomes merely a ‘shell’ or ‘husk’ which is used as a temporary abode for the soul, which is said to be immortal and composed, not of flesh and blood, but of some non-physical essence. At death, it is believed that the ‘immortal’ soul separates from the body and returns to one of three places, determined either by the person’s works or their acceptance/rejection of Christ:

• The righteous soul returns to God in heaven where it continues to exist forever in His presence, praising Him for all eternity.

• The wicked soul is consigned to a place of fiery torment, commonly called hell, where it exists for all eternity separated from God and in great torture for its unrepentant attitude and unforgiven sins.

• Some also believe in a third place, called purgatory, where the souls of those who are neither totally righteous nor totally wicked are placed during an interim period of indeterminate length. After serving their time in purgatory (usually in a condition that is similar but not as bad as the ‘hell’ of the wicked) they are released to join their righteous friends and relatives in heaven.

      Of course there are other variations to the scenarios given here, but in general at least the first two points of this doctrine are believed by the vast majority of today’s Christians and Jews.
      It is important to note that the concept of the Immortality of the Soul was in existence long before our Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach, walked the earth in the first century CE. It was a common belief among some of the Jews of Yeshua’s day, especially among those who had come under the influence of the Greek culture, called ‘Hellenism.’ This should come as no surprise, since the origin of the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul is admitted by all knowledgeable religious teachers as coming from Greek philosophy. It is interesting to note, however, that the sect of the Essenes (who were antiHellenistic to the extreme) also believed in the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul.
      Probably the earliest, and most complete, treatise on the Immortality of the Soul comes from the famous Greek philosopher, Plato. Plato was born (c. 428 BCE) in Athens, Greece, to a distinguished family. He was greatly influenced by an older philosopher named Socrates, and was probably in his twenties when Socrates was brought to trial on a charge of impiety, and for corrupting the youth of Athens by questioning authority. He was found guilty and given a death sentence. Socrates’ execution was self inflicted when he drank a tea made from hemlock, an extremely poisonous plant. He is said to have taken the poison willingly because he felt that it would release his ‘soul’ from his physical body and he would then be free to join the great philosophic ‘mind’ that exists eternally in the spiritual realm. Socrates’ death is described in detail in Plato’s Phaedo, one of the most famous stories in all of ancient literature.
      Another Greek philosopher who believed in the Immortality of the Soul was Aristotle (c.384-322 BCE - his life also overlapping that of Plato). Aristotle believed that what lived on after death was the ‘intellect’ of the individual, and at death the ‘intellect’ departed to join the ‘universal intellect’ where it was illuminated’ for all eternity. Aristotle not only taught that man had an immortal soul, but that animals, and even plants, did also. The Catholic Encyclopedic Dictionary, under the entry entitled Soul, concurs with Aristotle’s position:
      “As defined by the Schoolmen, following Aristotle, it is the primary principle of l~fe. Thus plants are said to have a vegetative soul, animals a sensitive soul, man a rational soul. In man, the soul is the principle of all his vegetative (growth, etc.) sensitive (feeling) and rational (thinking, willing) activity.
      “The human soul is said to be the substantial form of the body indicating the intimate union of soul and body that constitutes one human nature. Vegetative, sensitive and rational souls are simple, i.e., have no parts. But vegetative and sensitive souls can only exist and operate independently of the body; in other words the human soul is spiritual. From the spirituality of the human soul is deduced its immortality.” (p. 179)
      In the Jewish world, Philo of Alexandria, Egypt (c. 20 BCE to 50 CE), a contemporary of Yeshua, is perhaps the leading proponent of the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul. However, his teachings are thought to have been unknown in Judea and the Galilee during his lifetime and, therefore, Philo’s influence was not felt much within the Jewish world until later.
      However, there were other writings that existed during that time, with which Jews of Yeshua’s day would likely have been familiar. Many of these writings taught the Immortality of the Soul and are primarily found in the Apocrypha (spiritual books which were not canonized as Scripture) and the Pseudopigraphy (books written by unknown individuals who used the name of a famous figure from Scripture such as Adam or Abraham.) Following is an excerpt from one of these writings called The Wisdom of Solomon:
      “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seem to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction, but they are at peace.” (Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-3)

      The Christian world, like the Jewish world, acquired the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul from Greek philosophy. Today the vast majority of Christian faiths proclaim the Immortality of the Soul as a primary doctrine, and because of mainstream Christianity’s acceptance of this doctrine, it has become the predominant belief in all Western thought. In addition, most Christians also incorporate the resurrection of the body as a part of their doctrine, saying that the immortal soul is reunited with the body at the time of resurrection. However, as we will come to see, the Immortality of the Soul and bodily resurrection are basically incompatible concepts.
      While the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul is very comforting to those who believe they are going to be among the ‘righteous’ (for it offers the individual an afterlife that begins un-mediately upon death), it has no factual basis in the Scriptures. Nowhere in the Scriptures is the term ‘immortal soul’ found, and nowhere in the Scriptures is this concept put forth in any recognizable manner. On the contrary, the Scriptures, both Hebrew and Greek, speak of resurrection as being our hope for the future. Resurrection does not make sense if one’s ‘soul’ is permanently alive and conscious in heaven, hell or purgatory. If such were the case, a resurrection would not be needed, for the individual would still be alive.

* Reincarnation *

      A variation on the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul, is a belief in reincarnation. In this concept once the ‘soul’ is released from the physical body at death it then reenters another living entity. Again, there are variations in belief as to how this takes place. Some believe that the ‘soul’ can only move into another human body, while others hold that the ‘soul’ can enter any type of living creature including plants. In English there are three different terms used for this ‘process:’ reincarnation, transinigration of souls, and metempsychosis.
      In the doctrine of reincarnation it is held that ‘souls’ can exist entirely apart from any physical creature. In other words, ‘souls’ are thought to have an independent existence, with all of the ‘souls’ having existed prior to being joined with a human body. It is unclear where or when they originated.
      The supposed purpose of reincarnation is the perfecting of the ‘soul.’ The individual ‘soul’ has to keep returning to earth, within various life forms, until it is ‘perfected.’ Once this perfection has taken place the ‘soul’ is ‘reunited’ with a resurrected body for eternity. Exactly which of its many bodies it is permanently reunited with is also unclear.
      Although the doctrine of reincarnation has close ties with ancient pagan beliefs, it is still accepted by a few Christian sects and at least some Jewish mystics. It fits in closely with modern ‘new age’ teachings.

~ The Depths of Sheol ~

      It is not possible for us to understand the state of the dead from a Scriptural standpoint without coming to understand the meaning of the Hebrew word sheol (she-ohl, Strong’s #7585). Sheol corresponds to the Greek word hades (hay-dees, Strong’s #86) and is often translated into the English word “hell.” However, sheol has two other English translations as well: “grave,” and “pit.” Meanwhile, the Greek word hades is translated as “hell” every time it occurs except in I Cor. 15:55, where it is translated as “grave.” The early Puritans of America understood that sheol and hades meant a pit or hole in the ground, for they used to talk about putting their potatoes in ‘hell’ for winter storage.
      Thus, the literal meaning of sheol and hades is simply “the grave.” This is where the dead physical body is placed so that it can return to dust, just as God had indicated to Adam that it would do.
      Because of the finality of death over physical life, sheol becomes a very powerful image in religious teaching. Many writers of Scripture (under inspiration from YHVH) use sheol to create images of the power of death over physical life. For example, the prophet Jonah used the imagery of sheol to aid in explaining his perception of conditions in the belly of the great fish:

“Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly.
And he said:
‘I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction,
And He answered me.
Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice,
For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
All Your billows and Your waves Passed over me.

Then I said, “I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.”
The waters encompassed me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
I went down to the moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,
O LORD my God.”’
(Jonah 2:1-6)

      It is sometimes debated whether Jonah actually died in the fish’s belly and was subsequently resurrected back to life, or whether he was alive and conscious the entire time. We will not know the answer to that question until the day comes when we can ask him. In the meantime, what we have is a powerful poetic image explaining how Jonah was consigned to death, how that experience is likened to being buried in sheol (the grave), and how he was brought up out of sheol having his life returned to him at least in a type of resurrection, if not a literal one.
      Further information about sheol can be obtained from Psalm 88, where the psalmist cries out to God from deep affliction:

“O LORD, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave (sheol).
I am counted with those who go down to the pit (bor = pit);
I am like a man who has no strength,
Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave (keber = sepulchre),
Whom You remember no more.
And who are cut off from Your hand.”
(Psalm 88:1-5)

      The psalmist likens his life, of being completely cut off from his friends and family, as similar to the way it is when one dies and is buried in sheol:

“You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah.
You have put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
My eye wastes away because of affliction.”
(Psalm 88:6-9a)

      In the midst of this very despairing cry, we find the psalmist questioning whether or not there will be a future redemption:

“LORD, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah.
Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?”
(Psalm 88:9b-12)

      The picture of sheol given in Psalm 88 is of a place where one is totally cut off from God. It is a place of destruction where the body disintegrates into dust. It is a place of complete darkness and a ‘land of forgetfulness,’ where there is no memory or consciousness. Yet in the midst of this bleak picture of sheol, there is still a measure of hope.
      A more complete answer to our question, as to whether or not there can be salvation from such a place as sheol, comes in the very next Psalm, which is a companion to Psalm 88, both being titled: A Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite. Here the same psalmist claims God’s promises, even in the midst of great affliction:

“Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,
And said: ‘I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
I have found My servant David:
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.’...

“‘He shall cry to Me, “You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation,”
Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.”’
(Psalm 89:19-29)

      Out of total despair comes the cry of hope for a future era when King Messiah (pictured here as one likened to king David) will reign during a time that is described as “forever.” Through a vail of suggestions and metaphors, we see hope for an afterlife existing beyond sheol or the grave.

~ The Totality of Death ~

      According to Scripture all men must die; death being the complete cessation of life. This includes any type of conscious life separate from the body. Let us establish this principle by looking at several Scriptures:

“Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him --
For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever --
That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.

“For he sees that wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the
senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
Their inner thought is that their houses will continue forever,
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.
Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.”
(Psalm 49:5-12)

      Here we see that nothing we do in this life, whether it be great achievements, or even great riches, can redeem us or our loved ones from sheol, the grave.
      The next four passages preclude the possibility that the immortal souls of the ‘righteous’ go to heaven and live in the light of the Father, praising Him day and night.

“For in death there is no remembrance of You
In the grave who will give You thanks?”
(Psalm 6:5)

“The dead do not praise the LORD,
Nor any who go down into silence.”
(Psalm 115:17)

“For Sheol cannot thank You,
Death cannot praise You
Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth.
The living, the living man, he shall praise You,
As I do this day;
(Isa. 38:l8-19a)

“I cried out to You, O LORD;
And to the LORD I made supplication:
‘What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust uraise You?
Will it declare Your truth?”’
(Psalm 30:8-9)

      Those of us who are alive can still praise YHVH and teach His truth, but the implication is clear from these verses that those who are dead are incapable of so doing.
      Another figure in Scripture who testifies to the finality of death is Job. Here was a righteous man whom God allowed to be tested by HaSatan, the Adversary, to prove that he would continue to love and serve God no matter what terrible things happened to him during his physical life. Since Job is righteous, and he knows he has lived a righteous life and does not deserve the punishment that has befallen him, it would seem that Job would seek for his reward to come in an afterlife. Yet, Job is clear in his understanding that death is the total cessation of life, at least for the time being:

“‘Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.
He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
And do You open Your eyes on such a one,
And bring me to judgment with Yourself?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one!
Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
Look away from him that he may rest,
Till like a hired man he finishes his days.

“‘But man dies and is laid away
Indeed he breathes his last
And where is he?
As water disappears from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dries up,
So man lies down and does not rise.
Till the heavens are no more,
They will not awake
Nor be roused from their sleep.”’
(Job 14:1-6, 10-12)

      Job gives us a more complete understanding of sheol in chapter ten:

“‘Are not my days few?
Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,
Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,
To the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
A land as dark as darkness itself,
As the shadow of death, without any order,
Where even the light is like darkness.”’
(Job 10:20-22)

      Death truly is the complete cessation of life. Light turns to darkness, and memory does not exist as long as one is in that state. However, death does not have to be permanent, for there is the Hope of the Resurrection. But for now let us continue with the subject of the totality of death.

~ What Does The New Testament Say? ~

      At this point some might argue that while there was no ‘afterlife’ for those that lived before Yeshua, there is now an afterlife that manifests itself as an immortal soul. Others might claim that the revelation of the Immortality of the Soul took place in a ‘progressive’ fashion, and that the early writers of the Hebrew Scriptures did not yet understand that the ‘soul’ was immortal.
      Let us examine the words of the Apostle Peter to see if this view is correct. The following statement was made on the day of Pentecost (Shavu’ot) after the ascension of Yeshua into heaven some ten days previous:

      “‘Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
      “‘For David did not ascend into the heavens ...“
(Acts 2:29, 34)

      According to Peter, there is no immortal soul for David, despite the fact that God said of him:

      “‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”’
(Acts 13:22)

      Yeshua also confirmed that the soul is not immortal:

      “‘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 (gehenna or hell fire).”’
(Matt. 10:28)

      This verse makes it clear that the ‘soul’ is perishable and can be destroyed by God, even though a casual reading of it might lead one to think just the opposite. However, what Yeshua is saying is that the soul cannot be permanently destroyed by men. God has complete control of something that is called, in our English translations, the ‘soul,’ and He can destroy that ‘soul’ if He so chooses.

      “‘For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”’
(Matt. 16:26)

      Once again we see that a ‘soul’ can be lost. Does this mean that it goes to an ever burning hell for an eternity of torture? If such were the case, that person would still be alive and would never cease to exist, even though his existence would be less than desirable. Or does it mean that the soul can die just like the body?
      Yeshua touched on this subject again in the Parable of the Rich Fool. Here was a man who had a huge crop harvest, so he tore down his barns and built bigger ones in which to store all of his grain. Building the barns was not the problem, rather the problem was that the man (not acknowledging God) was only concerned with himself. He thought he had it made for many years, and rather than sharing his blessings with others and growing rich toward God, he stored them for himself:

      “‘So he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink and be merry.”’
      “‘But God said to him, “You fool! This night your soul will be required of you then whose will those things be which you have provided?”
      “‘So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”’
(Luke 12:18-21)

      Once again, we see that the man s ‘soul’ was required of him. In other words, he died.
      James, or more correctly Jacob, (Ya’akov in Hebrew), the brother of Yeshua had this to say about the soul:

      “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
(James 5:19-20)

      If the soul is immortal there is no need to save it from death, yet here James clearly indicates that the soul can be saved from death.
      Finally, we have the following verse from the book of Revelation which also testifies that souls die:

      “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every hymn soul died in the sea.”
(Rev. 16:3 KJV)

      Souls are either living or dead. According to Scripture they are not immortal.

~ The Cause of Death ~

      It is important to understand why death exists. Atheists and agnostics often ask; “If there is a God why would He create a world in which babies are born in total innocence, only to die a premature death?”
      It is a difficult question to answer when dealing with a skeptic, for the understanding of it requires a confidence and trust (i.e. faith) in YHVH; that He knows what He is doing and is in complete control. Since skeptics do not operate in the realm of faith, they usually will not accept a faith based answer. However, we as Believers, need to go back once again to the early chapters of Genesis for our answer:

      “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”’
(Gen. 2:15-17)

      It is important to note that the Tree of Life existed in the garden at this time. It was available to Adam and Eve and if they ate of its fruit it would give them eternal life.

      “Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’ —”
(Gen. 3:22)

      Immortality was available to Adam and Eve through the fruit of the Tree of Life, as long as they dwelt in the Garden of Eden. This is why they had to be expelled from the Garden after they had eaten the fruit of the forbidden tree, for God did not want eternal life to be available to them in their fallen condition.
      According to Jewish tradition, the reason Adam and Eve did not know they were naked before they sinned was because when they were created they were clothed with the radiance (kevod [keh-vohd] in Hebrew) of God. The initial outcome from their eating of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the loss of the kevod. At that point they became aware of their nakedness before God and each other. It is thought by some that, in this manner, God revealed to them the fact that they had been created mortal.
      Most Christian and Orthodox Jewish theologians believe that death is the punishment for the sin of disobedience. This view was also held by the Apostle Paul (Shaul) who wrote to the Romans:

“... that sin reigned in death ...“
(Rom. 5:21a)

“For the wages of sin is death ...“
(Rom. 6:23a)

      “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
      “Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.”’
(Rom. 7:9-14)

      Paul is telling us that it is not the law (Torah) which is sin, rather the Torah is “holy, just and good.” No, the problem is not with the Torah, it is with man, for man has a sin nature, which is inherited directly from Adam.

      “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transaression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.)”
(Rom. 5:12-14)

      From this passage we learn that the sin of Adam was considered by God to be a very great transgression. In fact, it was such a great transgression that death was passed on to all mankind because of it; even to those who were considered righteous before God.

      “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias ... His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
(Luke 1:5-6)

      The fact is that Zacharias and Elizabeth have both died and their bodies are today buried somewhere in the land of Israel despite their ‘righteousness.’

      “For as in Adam all die ...”
(I Cor. 15:22a)

~ Two Deaths ~

      The Scriptures clearly indicate that there is not one death but two. The first death comes as a result of Adam’s sin, the second comes as a result of our own sins:

      “...for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God ...“
(Rom. 3:23)

      “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’
(Rev. 2:11)

      “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
(Rev. 20:6)

      “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
(Rev. 20:14-15)

      When we understand that two separate deaths exist, then everything begins to become clear. We already saw that every human being must die once, not for his own sins but because he has inherited death from his father Adam.

      “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
(Heb. 11:27-28)

      Yes, all men must die once. That is because we are all descended from Adam. But it is not the first death that need be feared, it is the second death which grasps people and holds them in bondage to sin and death. This second death is the end result of our own individual sins, those transgressions which we have piled upon ourselves. It has nothing to do with Adam’s original sin.

“‘Behold, all souls are Mine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
The soul who sins shall die.’
(Ezek. 18:4)

      “‘The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”’
(Ezek. 18:20)

      Each man is held accountable for his own sins, and it is those sins, when left unforgiven, that cause men to die the second death.

      “‘But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.
      “‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord God, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live? But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.
      “‘... I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God. ‘Therefore turn and live!”’
(Ezek. 18:21-24, 32)

      Now Yeshua’s statement, quoted previously, comes into focus:

      “‘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.”’
(Matt. 10:28)

      Other humans can kill us, sending us to our first death; into a grave that is total darkness. But God has promised to raise up from their graves everyone who has lived and died; hence, our ‘soul’ or life is returned to us at that time. Some of those who are resurrected will be given etemal life, but others will have to suffer the second death. This is the death of no return, for there is no record in the Scriptures that anyone dying the second death will ever be resurrected a second time. It is the second death that causes both the body and the soul to be forever destroyed, as Yeshua indicated in Matt. 10:28 above.

~ Body, Soul, Spirit ~

      Armed with these understandings about the nature and cause of death, and about the two deaths, let us now go back and see if we can properly understand the definition of the word soul as it is used in both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures.
      Actually, there are three different elements that make up a human being; the body, the soul and the spirit as it is written:

      “May the God of shalom make you completely holy — may your entire spirit, soul and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The one calling you is faithful, and he will do it.”
(I Thess. 5:23-24 CJB)

* The Body *

      The body is the physical form that we see with our eyes and feel with our hands. It is the flesh, bone, sinew, nerves, glands, blood, etc., which make up the human body. It is all of those things which exist in a body whether it is living or dead. However, in the case of a dead body, all of those physical elements will begin to decay until they are ultimately returned to dust.

* The Soul *

      What then is the soul? Again, we need to go back to the second chapter of Genesis to find out:

      “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
(Gen. 2:7 KJV)

      The word for ‘soul’ in Hebrew is nephesh (neh-fehsh, Strong’s #5315). It is the life source which causes us to be physically alive rather than dead. What is it that causes the body to live? It is the blood, for when the body ceases to take in oxygen, pass it to the blood and then circulate that blood, the result is death. That is why the Scriptures teach us that:

      “‘... the life of the flesh is in the blood...”’
(Lev. 17:11a)

      What is most astounding about this verse is that it clearly tells us that the ‘soul’ or nephesh is in the blood. For the word translated ‘life’ in Lev. 17:11 is the exact same word as the word ‘soul’ in Genesis 2:7. Both are the Hebrew word nephesh, #53 15.
      When God created Adam, He formed him out of the dust of the ground. Put another way, God formed Adam out of the elements of the earth. He created the tissue, the bone, the sinews, the blood, the glands, the nerves; all of those things which make up the physical human body. Then God breathed the “breath of life” into Adam and Adam became ‘alive,’ he became a ‘living soul’ or a ‘living being.’
      When the body becomes sufficiently traumatized, from either injury or disease, so that it can no longer continue taking in oxygen and circulating it through the blood; then the physical life force (the soul) ceases to function and the body dies. In the process that physical life force, or what is commonly called the ‘soul,’ also dies. In this respect, man is no different from the animal kingdom, for they too are said to have a nephesh, or ‘soul.’

      “Then God said, ‘Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures (nephesh or souls) ...’”
(Gen. 1 :20a)

      “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature (nephesh or soul) according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind;’ and it was so.”
(Gen. 1:24)

      “‘Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life (nephesh or soul)...’”
(Gen. 1:30)

      So every animated living thing in which there is the breath of life (whether it is in the sea, the air or on the earth), is considered to be a nephesh, or a living soul. In respect to our body, and the physical life force that circulates throughout it, we are no different from any other living creature on the earth.

• Therefore, the ‘soul’ or nephesh can live:

      “Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul (nephesh) shall live because of thee.”
(Gen. 12:13 KJV)

      “‘Yes, I will make many peoples astonished at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life (nephesh or soul), in the day of your fall.”’
(Ezek. 32:10)

• The ‘soul’ or nephesh can also die:

      “And Samson said, ‘Let me (nephesh or my soul) die with the Philistines!”’
(Judges 16:30a)

• The ‘soul’ or nephesh can be killed:

      “‘And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person (nephesh or soul), and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.”’
(Num. 3 1:19)

• One can ask for the ‘soul’ or nephesh of their enemy: *
  [* However, Yeshua taught that if one does not forgive, neither will they be forgiven. (See Maff. 18:32-35 and Luke 6:31-38)]
  

      “Then God said to him: ‘Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life (days many) for yourself, iior have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life (nephesh or soul) of your enemies ...“‘
(I Kings 3:11)

• The ‘soul’ or nephesh can be poured out, as was the ‘soul’ of our Savior, Yeshua:

“Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul (nephesh) unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.”
(Isa. 53:12)

      In the New Testament the Greek word from which ‘soul’ is always translated is psuche (sue-kay, Strong’s #5590). This word is used one hundred and four times in the New Testament Scriptures. It is translated as ‘soul’ fifty-four times and as ‘life’ a total of forty times. Other translations include mind’ and ‘heart.’

• The very first time psuche is used it has to do with the possible taking of the life of Yeshua when He was a child:

      “‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life (psuche or ‘soul’) are dead.”’
(Matt. 2:20)

• The Scriptures teach that Yeshua gave His very own ‘soul’ for His people; those who follow Him:

      “...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life (psuche or soul) a ransom for many.”’
(Matt. 20:28)

      “‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life (psuche or soul) for the sheep.”’
(John 10:11)

• Since Yeshua gave His ‘soul’ for us, we should be willing to give our ‘souls’ for our brethren:

      “By this we know love, because He laid down His life (psuche or soul) for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives (psuche or souls) for the brethren.”
(I John 3:16)

• Likewise, as Believers we are told by Yeshua to lose our ‘souls’ for His sake.

      “‘He who finds his life (psuche or soul) will lose it, and he who loses his life (psuche or soul) for My sake will find it.”’
(Matt. 10:39)

      It should now be clear that in both the Hebrew and the Greek Scriptures the ‘soul’ (nephesh or psuche) is the living physical body.
      The confusion about the nature of the ‘soul’ has stemmed primarily from the way in which our English Scriptures have been translated. If the translators had used “living being” or “living creature” instead of the word “soul,” most of the confusion would disappear. However, since most Bible translators hold to the Greek doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul, they tend to write their theology into the Bible translations by using the English word ‘soul.’

* Spirit *

      What then separates man from animal? It can only be the third element of human life, the spirit. It is clear from both the Greek and the Hebrew Scriptures that man has an individual spirit which is all his own:

      “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?”
(I Cor. 2:11a)

“But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.”
(Job 32:8)

      Once again we are dealing with two words in Greek and Hebrew which are synonymous. The Greek word is pneuma (new-mah, Strong’s #4151) and the Hebrew is ruach (roo-ach, Strong’s #7307). Both are defined as breath, wind, or spirit. Spirit is used to describe the unseen force which animates every human being. It is this unseen spiritual force that imparts intellect and personality to the individual, as opposed to the ‘soul’ which imparts life.
      At death, the spirit returns to God, while the life or ‘soul’ ceases to exist and the body decomposes.

“Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit (ruach) will return to God who gave it.”
(Eccl. 12:6-7)

      “For as the body without the spirit (pneuma) is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
(James 2:26)

      When the lifeblood ceases to flow, the respiratory system shuts down, and the spirit in man returns to the one who gave it (that is God in heaven), then the physical body (along with the life force or ‘soul’) dies.
      Now the question arises; if man does not have an inimortal soul, does he have an immortal spirit instead? Is it possible that the concept is correct but the terminology is wrong? In one sense this could be true, for it is clear that the human spirit is something that is given to us by God when we are in the womb and is taken back at death.

      “‘For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”’
(Luke 1:44)

      However, this does not mean that these departed spirits are conscious of their surroundings and of what is happening on earth, for while the spirits of the departed are held within God’s care, there is no evidence from the Scriptures that they retain consciousness. On the contrary, it seems apparent they are in a condition that we might liken to dreamless sleep.
      One story in the Old Testament which tends to confirm this position is when king Saul went to the witch at En Dor in an attempt to call up the spirit of the prophet Samuel. This was, of course, strictly forbidden by the Torah, and had also been forbidden by king Saul himself. However, Saul assured the witch that she would not be harmed if she conducted a seance for him, so she agreed:

      “When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, ‘Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!’
      “And the king said to her, ‘Do not be afraid. What did you see?’ And the woman said to Saul, ‘I saw a spirit (elohim or gods) ascending out of the earth.’
      “So he said to her, ‘What is his form?’ And she said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.’ And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.
      “Now Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”’
(I Sam. 28:12-lSa)

      If indeed this apparition actually was the ‘spirit’ of Samuel, it is apparent that the witch had disturbed that ‘spirit’ from a state of inactivity. However, another possible explanation for this scene is that God sent an angel (fallen or otherwise) to carry the message to Saul that he was to be defeated in battle and would himself suffer death. The fact that the term elohim (which means ‘gods’ and which sometimes refers to angels [see Psalm 8:5]) is used to identify what came up, (instead of ruach which means ‘spirit’); and the fact that it came up out of the ground, seems to point to the later explanation.
      Another passage that is often used to ‘prove’ the Immortality of the Soul is found when the fifth seal is opened in the book of Revelation:

      “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls (psuche) of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testiinony which they held.
      “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’
      “And a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
(Rev. 6:9-11)

      While this seems to be a compelling case for the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul, it can also be read as an analogy similar to the one found in Genesis chapter 4, where God speaks about the “blood” of Abel crying out from the ground:

      “And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”’
(Gen. 4:10)

      Obviously blood does not speak, and, in all likelihood, neither do the ‘souls’ or ‘spirits’ of dead men and women, but both can be used in a metaphorical sense to communicate a profound spiritual image.

~ Death is Like Sleep ~

      A number of scriptures liken death to being asleep:

“Consider and hear me,
O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;”
(Psalm 13:3)

      “And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I sleep in the dust and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”
(Job 7:21 KJV)

      “And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep (lie down) with thy fathers
(Deut. 3 1:16 KJV)

      Some view the phrase (“lie down with thy fathers”), along with those passages which speak of being “gathered to his people” (see Gen. 49: 33), as indicating the collecting of the deceased person’s immortal soul to those of one’s departed relatives. However, in actual fact, it has to do with ancient burial practices. It was the custom, when someone died, to first place their body in a sarcophagus. This was a box much like a modern coffin, although it was usually carved out of stone. However, since the body was not embalmed, the flesh would rapidly decay. Once all the flesh was gone, and only the bones remained, they would be gathered up and placed in a smaller container called an ossuary. Often times, ossuaries contained the bones of other family members as well. Thus, one was gathered to (the bones of) his fathers.

~ The Revivified Spirit ~

      It appears that God somehow preserves each person’s ‘spirit’ and uses it to revivif~r a resurrected body and soul. Some have likened the storing of the spirit to the storage of music on a magnetic tape or compact disk (CD). The information on the cassette or CD is not available to hear (i.e., does not have a personality) unless one has the appropriate machine (i.e., ‘body’) on which to play it. However, once the tape or disk is placed in a proper playing device (the ‘body’), and the device is activated by an energy source (the ‘soul’), then the information (the ‘spirit’) comes alive, and the entire room can be filled with music.
      It may be somewhat the same with man’s spirit. Somehow God stores the spirits (intellect, memory and personality) of those who have died, although we do not know how it is done. They are silent now, but at some future time those spirits will be reunited with their resurrected bodies and souls, and the world will once again be filled with the sounds of their voices and the force of their personalities. This is the Hope of the Resurrection.

~ Summary ~

      Let us see if we can summarize the nature of life and death in a reasonably succinct manner.

• Life originated from God. He gave it and it is His prerogative to extend it or take it away.

• Death is the absence of life.

• Death first entered the world because of the sin of Adam. This death (the first death) is passed on to all human descendants of the male line of Adam. This includes both men and women, since both have physical fathers.

• Man is made up of three parts:

  • The physical body is composed of flesh and bone, and it decays after death.

  • The soul is the physical life source that activates the body. The Scriptures teach that the ‘soul’ is in the blood. Once the blood ceases to flow, the ‘soul’ or life goes out of the body. The ‘soul,’ as defined by Scripture, has no thought or personality unto itself.

  • The spirit is the unseen animating force which is given by God to each individual. It is what imbues each person with intellect, personality, emotions, etc. The spirit returns to God upon death and exists in an unconscious state, similar to sleep, until the time when God resurrects the body and the soul. At that time God releases the spirit to indwell the new living body.

• Although the fullness of the law was not codified until Mount Sinai, there has always been some form of God’s law (Torah or instruction) taught on earth. We know this because it is written: “...because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws (Torah).” (Gen. 26:5) It is the individual’s breaking of God’s law (Torah) which makes every person subject to the second death.

• It was into this seemingly hopeless situation that Yeshua was sent, by His Father, to become a Savior and Redeemer for all mankind.

• Since Yeshua did not descend from Adam through a physical father, he was not subject to the first death which comes only from Adam.

• Because Yeshua lived a perfectly sinless life, He was not subject to the second death which comes from one’s own sin; the transgression of the Torah.

• However, Yeshua voluntarily took upon Himself the sins of all mankind. Normally those sins would have made Him susceptible to the second (permanent) death, however, since He was not descended from Adam through a male progenitor, Yeshua’s ‘second death’ became His ‘first’ and only death; a death which could not hold him in the grave.

• All who have ever lived and died (with the exception of the Son of God, Yeshua) are now sleeping in their graves, while their individual spirits, retained by God in heaven, are awaiting the resurrection.

      “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(I Cor. 15:56-57)

      “So when corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’

“‘O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”’
(I Cor. 15:54-55)

      At the appropriate time, God will resurrect to life every single individual who has ever lived. That is the subject of the next article: The Hope of the Resurrection.
      We pray this article has been a blessing to you by bringing you a Scriptural understanding of life and death, and of the three components of human life: body, soul and spirit.

DEW

~ Sources ~

Carbeny, John J. ,S.T.D., Ph.D., J.C.D., LL.D., The Holy Bible, Catholic Bible House, Charlotte, NC, 1961.
Giliman, Neil, The Death of Death, Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, VT., 1997.
Green, Jay P., Sr., The Interlinear Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, 1985.
The Holy Bible (KJV), Oxford University Press, London.
The Open Bible, The New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985.
Sonsino, Rifat & Syme, Daniel B., What Happens After I Die?, UAHC Press, New York, 1990.
Strong, James, S.T.D., L.L.D., Strong’s New Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, World Bible Publishers, Inc., Iowa Falls, 1986.
Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, The Jewish Publication Society, New York, 1988.
Thayer, Joseph Henry, D.D., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1977.
Tregelles, Samuel Prideaux, LL.D., Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1979.
Weissman, Rabbi Moshe, The Midrash Says; The Book of Beraishis, Benei Yakov Publications, Brooklyn, 1980.
Wigram-Green, Jay P., The New Englishman’s Greek Concordance and Lexicon, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA., 1982.
Wigram, George V., The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1980.