Behold, (A)all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine The soul who (B)sins will die.
Ezekiel 18:4
2007-06-13 13:25:03 · 12 answers · asked by Mitch R 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sometimes the word soul refers to man himself. Man is a living soul. Genesis 2 says God formed man from the dust and breathed in life and man became a living soul.
2007-06-13 13:30:41 · answer #1 · answered by djmantx 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
That is exactly correct. Here is why? The Hebrew word for soul is "ne′phesh." Therefore, this verse says that it is the soul that dies. Some translations render ne'phesh as "soul" in other passages use the expression "the man" or "the one" in this verse. Therefore, the ne'phesh, the soul, is the person, not an immaterial part of them that survives when his or her body dies.
This is exactly what the Bible teaches. It states that in the beginning "man came to be a living soul," not that he received a soul. Just as there is a difference between having a wife and being a wife, so there is a great difference between having a soul and being a soul. Also, the Bible tells us that "the soul that is sinning - it itself will die." Therefore, it could not be immortal.
Further, God’s Word shows that the dead “are conscious of nothing at all.” That is why the Bible speaks of death as ‘sleep.’ Interestingly, Martin Luther at one time taught that believers who died were unconscious until the resurrection. (Also see Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 18:20; Ecclesiastes 9:5; 1Corinthians 15:20; 1Thessalonians 4:13)
As I mentioned before, you are correct. However, you now have additional information in case you are ever asked about that particular scripture. I hope the additional references and research helped add more emphasis as to this scripture in Ezekiel 18:4. It is one thing to know the answer, but another to know why that is the answer.
2007-06-13 13:48:06 · answer #2 · answered by the_answer 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The text certainly speaks of the soul dying, but it is NOT the same death which come upon the body. Our bodies die a physical death (Gen 3:19; Heb 9:27), the only exceptions being those who are alive at the Lord's coming (1 Cor 15:51-53). The soul dies a spiritual death, not related to the physical design of the body (dust), but the actions of the person (Ro 6:23). From the text, note that the wicked will die, but the righteous will live. And yet our constant experience, when it comes to physical death, is that both wicked and righteous die.
A quick summary of Ezekiel 18:
the false proverb (inherited sin) in Israel (18:1-2)
each one is accountable for his own sin (18:3-4)
the man who lives righteously will live (18:5-9)
the wicked son of a righteous man will die (18:10-13)
the righteous son of a wicked man will live (18:14-17)
the wicked father of a righteous son will die (18:18)
Principle: the righteousness of the righteous is upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked is upon him (18:19-20)
the wicked man who turns from his evil will live (18:21-23)
the righteous man who turns and commits sin will die (18:24)
the ways of the Lord are fair (18:25-29)
God judges each according to his own ways, therefore repent and live (18:30-32)
N.B. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all died (Gen 25:8; 35:29; 49:33), and yet the Lord speaks of them as living (Mt 22:32). They died physically, as all men do, but spiritually, they live (Jn 11:25), for they were faithful to the Lord.
2007-06-13 13:29:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ancient Judaism contained varied views concerning reincarnation. Eventually, reincarnation as a viewpoint fell out of fashion, accept with the Zadokites.
The old idea was that bad souls are reincarnated to live again and again until they are purified of their sinful nature, and whence they are elligible for heaven. Ancient Jews believed that souls were incarnated into mortal bodies, which developed, aged and then died (only for sinful souls to be reincarnated to a new mortal body). This is what Ezekiel refers to when he says souls who sin will die.
When reincarnation was abolished from Jewish ideology, the idea of a permanent hell was instigated. Previously, hell was seen as a temporary place from which people were punished for their bad karma before accepting a new body.
2007-06-13 14:03:34 · answer #4 · answered by Yoda 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. He means that the soul will become spiritually dead, in the sense that it will be separated from God, which is supreme punishment. No one can fully understand what that feels like until after they die, because God will never completely sever all connections with you and permanently turn his back until after you have died with out repenting for your sins. It's just like when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God said that those who ate of it would surely die, and Satan said they wouldn't. However, God meant that they would die spiritually and Satan meant that they would not die physically. It's the same concept in your passage from Ezekiel.
2007-06-13 13:31:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ezekiel 18:a million-3 communicate of our very own very own accountability for our very own sins(s). The "soul" (guy or woman) that sins shall easily die (be punished). A "kindly previous soul" is an older guy or woman.
2016-10-09 03:58:05 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would interpet "souls" in this verse as human beings themselves, not their actual soul. When you look at it in a different translation (NLT) you get, "For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die." So what that is saying is (to me, anyway) that if you sin, you are the one that is going to be punished for it, not someone else. God knows that it is you and you can't pass the blame on anyone else. However, Jesus took that blame from us and took it upon himself to give us the power to live eternally (spiritually) if we believe in him.
2007-06-13 13:31:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means that those who receive Salvation through Christ Jesus will live in soul, spirit and body. God gives us a soul, it is his to give and take. To make immortal or to make die. He did give us a promise of eternity forever, all you have to do is ask from the heart for Jesus to save you and lead your life.
2007-06-13 13:29:54 · answer #8 · answered by Gardener for God(dmd) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First you have to understand what makes a Soul "Alive" after it has been Created.
There are all kinds of Definitions for "death".
2007-06-13 13:36:36 · answer #9 · answered by maguyver727 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have experienced my own immortality. Immortality is scarier than you may think. So much that we take forgranted every day is so intolerable. YOUR current state of existance would truely be a HELL if... if their wasn't some hope of things improving in the future.
2007-06-13 13:29:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋