There are at least two Christian views of when you die, which do you believe and why?

Question

The first says that upon death, the soul leaves the body and joins God in heaven to await the resurrection.

The second says the soul and the body are one and you remain in the grave until resurrection.

We are currently studying this in my God and Human life class and I am interested in other view points of this theology and the Scriptual basis for these ideas.

Answer 1

You have to read all of this if you want to understand what the Bible teaches. Do not give up on just reading half of it there are verses that teach soul sleep like for instence Ecclesiastes 9:5. I believe only the souls of the righteous go up to God. Maybe they're conscience but it does not all add up, because just read John 3:13. So, maybe they are still unconscience in the grave, sheol, or hades (all those places mean the same thing). Then the righteous are resurrected in the first resurrection, and they go to the kingdom of God. But the souls of the wicked do not go up to God, they have there place in everlasting death, where they stay in the grave (hades). Then the wicked are resurrected in the 2nd resurrection, and judged, then they go into the Lake of Fire (Gahanna) or eternal fire to be destroyed fully. But read more of this to confirm.

NIV Luke 23:43
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
or
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth today, you will be with me in paradise." [Notice the comma was switched after the word "today". Remember that there is no punctuation in Greek]

Acts 2:27
Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not abandoned in Hades (the grave), nor did his body see decay. [This is saying that Jesus was in hell or hades (mean the same thing) but was not left there, because he resurrected]

NIV Mark 8:31
And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. [Jesus was dead for three days and notice that this verse does not say anything about his "soul" going up into the kingdom within those days]

KJ John 20:17
Jesus saith unto her, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, 'I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.'" [Jesus says this after he was resurrected so this means that the man on the cross was not with Jesus in paradise, and his soul did not go to heaven on the day that he died]

NIV Luke 24:50-51
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. [This is when Jesus ascended to the Father]

Acts 7:59
"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." [He was committing his life and spirit to Lord Jesus]
Relate this verse:
Psalms 31:5
Into your hand I commit my spirit. You have redeemed me, O LORD, the God of truth.
Relate these verses:
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came to them and said unto them, saying, “All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go forth and make disciples of all the ethnics, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” [Another way to commit your life to God is that you can be baptized]

Philippians 1:21-25
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. For I am constrained by the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your advancement and joy of faith." [...having a desire to depart... which he was talking about departing from this life. Our souls may go back up to God without a conscience]
Relate this verse:
From Strong's Version 2 Corinthians 5:8
We are assured, then, and think it's good rather to go away from home out of the body, and to come home to the Lord. [Our souls may go home unto the Lord right when we die. It still does not say that we are conscience when we die]

Matthew 17:1-3
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. [Of course Moses was long dead when this happened. Elijah was not (read 2 Kings 2:11) but this could of been a vision. Was it not?]

NIV 1 Samuel 28:1-20
In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army." David said, "Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do." Achish replied, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life." Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name." But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?" Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this." Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" "Bring up Samuel," he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?" The woman said, "I see a spirit coming up out of the ground." "What does he look like?" he asked. "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" "I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do." Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines." Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel's words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night. [Now remember this women was wicked because she was called a medium. The bible says that we shouldn't turn to mediums, or seek out Spiritists in Leviticus 19:31. This could of been a vision from the devil for all we know because it still does not add up]

The next verse is interesting...

John 3:13
And no one has ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.

Acts 2:34
For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he says, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at the right of Me.”

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not go before them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive, and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. [Notice it says that we will be caught up together with "them", which are the dead in Christ, which means they have been in the earth with us, and not that they were in the kingdom of God already. The word "sleep" in the New Testament's original language Greek means:
Strong's Concordance Dictionary Ref. # 2837

Romanized koimao
Pronounced koy-mah'-o

from GSN2749; to put to sleep, i.e. (passively or reflexively) to slumber; figuratively, to decease:

KJV--(be a-, fall a-, fall on) sleep, be dead]

Psalms 6:5
“For in death there is no remembrance of you. In the grave who shall give you thanks?”

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
...and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction (death or punishment) and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power. [Strong's Concordance Dictionary Ref. # 3639

Romanized olethros
Pronounced ol'-eth-ros

from a primary ollumi (to destroy; a prolonged form); ruin, i.e. death, punishment:

KJV--destruction]

Strong's Literal Translation of Jude 1:7-8
angels And those not having kept the of themselves first place, but having deserted the own home, unto {the} Judgment of {the} great Day in chains eternal under blackness He has kept, like Sodom and Gomorrah and the around them towns, in the similar to these manner committing sexual sin and going away after flesh different laid before times an example of fire everlasting vengeance undergoing.

Matthew 25:41-46
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ...Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." [The wicked will go down into the enternal fire which is ONLY prepared for the devil and his angels, because he didn't say that the wicked will be tortured there day and night. "Then they will go away to eternal punishment" this means that eternal punishment is eternal death]
Relate this verse...

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in [Or through] Christ Jesus our Lord. [The bible never describes whether if death is going down to a torturous place of fire, and it never describes that the soul is awake after death, and it also doesn't "clearly" describe where the soul goes]

Helping Verses

1. the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7) [The Hebrew for man (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah) it is also the name Adam, see Gen. 2:20]
2. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:19)
3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. (Psalm 143:3)
4. He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. (Proverbs 19:16)
5. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. (Ecclesiastes 3:20)
6. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. (Ecclesiastes 4:2)
7. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. (Ecclesiastes 9:3)
8. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. (Ecclesiastes 9:5)
9. They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits (demons) do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them. (Isaiah 26:14) [The memory of those thrown in the lake of fire will be forgotten]
10. But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. (Isaiah 26:19)
11. "And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me (the ones who died from the wrath of God); their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind." (Isaiah 66:24)
12. Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them. (Jeremiah 18:20) [Yet they have dug a pit for my soul which means the soul will go to the grave]
13. So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. (Jeremiah 7:32)
14. and say to them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter's jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. (Jeremiah 19:11)
15. And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? (Ezekiel 13:19) [...to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live - which means there are souls that should live and there are souls that should die]
16. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4)
17. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20)
18. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. (Ezekiel 18:27)
19. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 4:3) [the wicked will be turned into ashes under our feet on the day of Judgment]
20. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell (Gahanna - figuratively represented as the lake of fire). (Matthew 10:28) [Notice that this is what Jesus said and the word "destroy" means:
Strong's Concordance Dictionary Ref. # 622

Romanized apollumi
Pronounced ap-ol'-loo-mee

from GSN0575 and the base of GSN3639; to destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively:

KJV--destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.

The word "hell" in this verse is mistranslated and it should be Gahanna which is:
Strong's Ref. # 1067

Romanized geena
Pronounced gheh'-en-nah

of Hebrew origin [HSN1516 and HSN2011]; valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:

KJV--hell]
21. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive. (Luke 20:38) [Meaning all will be resurrected by him but some will live on, and some will be destroyed by there own sin, and it won't be God's fault why they die]
22. 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." 12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." (John 11:11-15)
23. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)
24. 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Revelation 21:1-8)

The Rich Man and The Poor Man

Luke 16:22-31
And now, the poor man died that the angels carried him away to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried, also in Hades. And lifting up the eyes of him, being in torments, he sees Abraham from at a distance and Lazarus at his side. And he called out and said, "Father Abraham, take pity on me, and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and may cool my tongue, because I am suffering in this flame." But Abraham said, "Child, remember that you fully received good things in your life, and Lazarus only received bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering. And besides all these things, between us and you there is a great chasm that has been fixed so that those desiring to go from here to you are not able to, nor those from there to us may cross over." And he said, "Then I ask you, father, that you send him to the house of my father, because I have five brothers, so that he may testify to them, so that they will not come to this place of torment!" Abraham says to him, "They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them hear them!" But he said, "No, father Abraham, but if one from the dead could go to them, they would change their hearts." And he said to him, "if they would not listen to Moses and the Prophets, not even if one from the dead should rise would they be persuaded." [This is talking about judgment day and the resurrection of man. Also note that where it says "And lifting up the eyes of him" is saying that he resurrected. The wicked are resurrected in the second resurrection in Revelation 20:13-15. It is not clear that the rich man was awake when he was dead. "And the rich man also died and was buried, also in Hades" notice that I put the period in a different place]

In Ecclesiastes 9:5 Solomon the author of this book writes: "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten." This is clearly saying that the dead are NOT awake. Solomon wrote this and Solomon was called the most wisest man who ever lived. Some say that Solomon was wrong but I can not believe that Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) would be wrong about this. Why would God let something like this be written if it was wrong?

Answer 2

When the Bible says a person is “sleeping” in relation to death (Luke 8:52; 1 Corinthians 15:6), it does not mean literal “sleep.” Sleeping is just a way to describe death because a dead body appears to be sleeping. The Bible tells us that the instant you die, you are taken to heaven or Hell based on whether you had received Christ as your Savior or not. For believers, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). For unbelievers, death means everlasting punishment in Hell (Luke 16:22-23). The concept of “soul sleep” is not a Biblical doctrine. The moment we die, we face the judgment of God (Hebrews 9:27). Until the resurrection, though, there is currently a temporary heaven “Paradise” (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4) and Hell “Hades” (Revelation 1:18; 20:13-14).



In a sense, a person’s body is “sleeping” while their soul is in Paradise or Hades. This body is then “awoken” and transformed into the eternal body a person will possess for eternity. These eternal bodies is what we possess for all of eternity, whether we are in heaven or Hell. Those who were in Paradise will be sent to the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:1). Those who were in Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15). These are the final, eternal destinations of all people - based entirely on whether a person had trusted Jesus Christ alone for the salvation of their sins.

Recommended Resource: What the Bible Says about Heaven & Eternity by Ice & Demy.

Answer 3

I believe the second one! Here some bible verse to back it up!

How did we get here in the first place?

"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." Genesis 2:7.

Answer: God made us from dust in the beginning

What happens when a person dies?

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

The body turns to dust again, and the spirit goes back to God, who gave it. The spirit of every person who dies--whether righteous or wicked--returns to God at death.

What is a "soul"?

"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." Genesis 2:7.

A soul is a living being. A soul is always a combination of two things: body plus breath. A soul cannot exist unless body and breath are combined. God's Word teaches that we are souls.

Do souls die?

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:20. "Every living soul died in the sea." Revelation 16:3.

According to God's Word, souls do die! We are souls, and souls die. Man is mortal (Job 4:17). Only God is immortal (1 Timothy 6:15, 16). The concept of an undying, immortal soul goes against the Bible, which teaches that souls are subject to death.

Do good people go to heaven when they die?

"All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth." John 5:28, 29. "David ... is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day." "For David is not ascended into the heavens." Acts 2:29, 34. "If I wait, the grave is mine house." Job 17:13.

No, people do not go either to heaven or hell at death. They go to their graves to await the resurrection day.

Answer 4

I believe that we instantly go to meet God once we die, because this is biblical. First, Paul says "Absent with the body, present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Plus the fact that Jesus told the parable about Lazarus and the rich man, who when they both died, Lazarus was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom and the rich man went to Hades (Luke 16:19-23). This story tells us several things: That when we die, we are carried by the angels to meet the Lord (where we will then be judged), and that we do leave our body once we are dead. Lazarus and the rich man went to the afterlife, not awaiting the resurrection.

Answer 5

Psa.23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death, I will fear no evil: for
Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Flesh death of the body is a SHADOW of death, a silhouette or likeness of the second death.

Heb.9:27 And as it is appointed unto men ONCE to die, but after this the judgment:

Matt.10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather
fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Fear (revere) God Who can destroy both soul and spiritual body, that is second death.

I Cor.15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and
there is a spiritual body.

There is a flesh body and a spiritual body.

II Cor.5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: II Cor.5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) II Cor.5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Absent from the flesh body, present with the Lord.

Ecc.12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Ecc.12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it.

The spiritual body and soul return to God.

I Cor.15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall
have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory.

The second death is what Christ paid the price for. Until the mortal puts on immortality he is still considered dead or liable to die the second death.

Ezek.18:4 Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

All souls are God’s. The verdict for sin is the second death.

Heb.2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

God through flesh death paid the price for the second death. Satan already sentenced to the second death has been defeated. Satan can’t say we deserve the same verdict.

Rev.2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that
overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Those who overcome Satan become immortal, the first resurrection.

Rev.20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

The rest of the dead, that is mortal souls, missed the first resurrection, that is immortality, until the thousand years are finished.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

A thousand years, a time of teaching by those who had part in the first resurrection.

Rev.20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. Rev.20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

The dead, that is mortal souls.

Rev.20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Rev.20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Don’t read over that. Death, that is Satan, and hell, that is separation from God, were cast into the lake fire, the second death.

Rev.20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The second death.

Answer 6

The idea of soul sleep is a false teaching. GOD says otherwise.

2Cr 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

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Ecc 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

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

Answer 7

Christ makes it quite clear in His own Parables (See Luke 16;19-31) that the 'dead' are indeed very much awake. Plus 'dead' Moses & Elijah appeared to Jesus at His Transfiguration. The 'dead' prophet Samuel appeared through the Witch of Endor to King Saul in the Old Testament. etc.
The euphemisim of sleep was often used, much as we use 'Rest in Reace' today. But Christianity has always taught that the dead are conscious with God in Heaven See also Revelation, re the Elders, the Martyrs etc.. Christian inscriptions in the 1st cent. Catacombs of Rome ask the (awake) dead to pray for the living.

Answer 8

The SPIRIT (the real you looks just like your body) and the SOUL Leave the BODY at the point of death. Thats why the body dies, cause YOU (and your soul) came out of it.
Fo' Real!
Ditto.

You are a Spirit, you have a Soul, and you Live in a Body.

Answer 9

Straight up to Heaven, Jesus told the thief on the cross,"on this day you will be in paradise with Me"

Answer 10

Remember the thief on the cross. " truly, truly, truly I say to you, you shall be with me in Paradise." I hope this help you.
If we die we go straight in heaven.

Answer 11

I believe the soul and body are one, and you remain unconscious until resurrection.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5,10; John 5:28,29)