Does the Bible support “Soul Sleep”?

Question

The Scriptures are very clear that our souls are immortal. Some will say that the soul is not immortal such as Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah Witnesses. Their doctrine is used to deny the existence of saints in heaven and ......
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-S6YMuFYyaa9ESBoW5DFwEjL_HhqA;_ylt=AtHS7U_vmu_59_F4H5EhHYq0AOJ3

Kellygirl,

Soul sleep is the theological speculation by Jehovah Witnesses and Seventh Day adventists and their schismatic groups that says that when one dies they go to sleep until the Parousia (when Christ comes again). I have refuted that belief using Scripture.

DRB is the acronym meaning "Douay-Rheims Bible" which is one of the earliest English translations of the Septuagint and the New Testament.

TeeM,

So, are you saying that there is a reincarnation of the dead? How many times do you believe one can be reincarnated?

Answer 1

NO.

Their doctrine is without a scriptural base.

I do not believe which is not according to Bible and which is not in Bible

Answer 2

Actually Jehovah's Witnesses teach that when the soul dies it is dead, non-existance except in the memory of God.

Adam became a living soul, where was that soul before it came to be living?

No where.

Death is liken to sleep, not that death is sleep.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that when the dead are brought back to life, resurrected, those who go to heaven are "saints in Heaven".

If you are going to question the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses please get your facts straight.

Ez. 18:4 Souls die.

Eccl 9:5 & 10 those who are dead are dead, knowing nothing.

Sleep is a good way to discribe death, but those who are dead are not literally asleep.

.

Answer 3

Our soul can be immortal but not until after the great white throne judgment . Scriptural documentation 1st Cor. 15:51,, Behold, I shew you a mystery. We shall not all sleep ( die a normal physical death) but we will all be changed. (1st Thes.) (into our spiritual bodies).
52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet shall sound, and the dead (those in flesh bodies) shall be raised incorruptible ,and we will be changed (into our spiritual bodies that do not get sick or old but are still mortal).
53. For this corruptible (flesh body) must put on incorruption ( spiritual body) and this mortal (spiritual body but still able to die) must put on immortality (soul of everlasting life given at the last judgment). So when this corruptible (body) shall put on incorruptibility and this Mortal (soul) shall have put on immortality (not capable of death), then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death shall be swallowed up in victory

Answer 4

The OT says that the dead know nothing, but that's probably talking about the body. In the NT, we hear 'absent from the body, present with the Lord' and 'our God is a God of the living, not of the dead. Also, Jesus said to the thief on the cross, 'this day you will be with Me in Paradise'.

Answer 5

The belief on soul (or spirit) is something that has evolved gradually in the Bible.
It was Paul in the NT who speaks more about soul but a few references to the spirit do exist: for eg. the ref. ".....and the soul returns to its Maker......" in the Ecclesiastes.
Paul narrates an experience of his that he was taken up to the third heaven.
Otherwise the concept of soul existing/not existing after death can become very challenging.....I mean you can cite references for both sides.
However secular sources like "Life after Life" by Raymond Moody and other researches have led us to believe that a soul/spirit does exist and what the "mansions" into which one can enter after death are things hidden from those of the present perhaps for a reason. We will have to wait until then.
There are souls who plunge into their next phase of activity immediately. For eg. the Buddhists believe that their next Lama gets reincarted in a matter of seconds after the soul leaves the present Lama. But others may go into hibernation/sleep/rest for a season (lasting perhaps centuries to thousands of years) as for eg. prophet Samuel being raised from a "sleep". The soul is in a state of eternity/timelessness one should remember. What this state is, how many dimensions are there to it, what are the other worlds, is something totally unfathomable to our limited brain, of which we have received only glimpses through the tales of others who have 'come back'.
For souls resting, it is seen from other sources (non-biblical) that those which have been 'wounded' in this life: by getting killed, murdered, accidents, in wars, etc. that they are allowed a space of time of 'healing' until they reconcile with the fact that they are indeed dead after which they allowed to evolve further in their other 'state'.
Perhaps only in heaven we will know (not only what Mother Mary has done for us) what all these things mean. But until then......it pays to be patient.

Answer 6

Joh 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

Psalms 146:4 - 4 His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground;
In that day his thoughts do perish.

Answer 7

No, for the Christian(one is Christ): to be absent from the body is to be present w/ the Lord.

I love it! Big Amen to the Lord for this!

Answer 8

Won't they get a nasty shock then..

Lately I've become convinced that the whole lot of them are possessed by a pythonic spirit, as described in Acts 16

Answer 9

The angel told Danial that he would be going to his rest until these things have come to pass.
So it would appear that the soul at least rests if not sleeps..!!

Answer 10

FIrst of all according to Jesus there is no1 in the heaven but his father and him. As soul thing as object who cares... Phisical body is the one that gets pain and have capabilities to create toughts not the soul. SO when you die your god will give you a new body for the sake of argument but it has nothing to do with you. It's nto your pain anymore.