Does the Bible Teach Soul Sleep?

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A:  Thanks for writing. I hope all is going well with you. Here are some evidences that come to mind:

1. Moses and Elijah talking with Christ on the mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-4).
2. Samuel appearing to King Saul right before his death (1Samuel 28) The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16). Unless Jesus is just making up stories.
3. The argument of Christ that God is presently the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matthew 22:31-32). He is presented as God of the living and not of the dead. They must be presently alive according to the teaching of Christ.
4. 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 - Those who are asleep in Jesus (v.13) are also up in heaven with God since God brings them with Him when He returns (v.14). Their sleep refers to the temporary state of the body.
5. Joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repents (Luke 15:10).
6. Abraham seeing the day of Christ and being glad (John 8:56).
7. Hell full of people where their worm dies not and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:44, 46, 48). This is not eternity because hell will be emptied into the lake of fire in eternity (Revelation 20).
8. The repentant thief was to be with Christ in paradise "To day" (Luke 23:43).This would not be possible if the soul were asleep.
9. The souls under the altar that were slain were crying out to God (Revelation 6:9-11). They were not sleeping.
10. Paul being a strait between life and death because, though he had a work to do on earth, death would be much better. To live is Christ but to die is gain. (Philippians 1:20-24). Let me ask. How would dying be better than life, if to live was Christ but to die is to sleep until the resurrection? His desire was to depart and to be with Christ. I believe that only a Bible-denier would find this inadequate proof.
11. That still leaves 2Corinthians 5:8.

Which brings me to this comment: Every time I have dealt with someone advocating soul sleep, I have found someone who went to the Greek and Hebrew in a Bible-denying way and who exalted the limited, earthly viewpoint of the Old Testament over the clear and fuller revelation of the New Testament. Be careful about these people. If they are not seventh-day adventists, they are teaching their doctrine. I hope these thoughts have been a help to you.

Till He comes,

Pastor David Reagan
 

 

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