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THE STATE OF THE DEAD!The following is material that Howard I. See used in a discussion with a Seventh Day Adventist preacher in Woodbury, Tennessee in 1964. I. The word “SOUL” defined: From Greek “PSUCHE” – “yuch”.
A. “yuch” – denotes the breath, the breath of life,
then the soul, in its various meanings. The New
Testament uses “may be analyzed approximately as
follows:
1. The natural life of the body,
2. The immaterial, invisible part of man,
3. The disembodied (or ‘unclothed’ or ‘naked’.)
man,
4. The seat of personality,
5. The seat of the sentient element in man, that by
which he perceives, reflects, feels, desires,
6. The seat of will and purpose,
7. The seat of appetite,
8. Persons, individuals,
9. The equivalent of the personal pronoun, used for
emphasis and effect,
10. An animate creature, human or other,
11. ‘The inward man’, the seat of the new life.”
B. yuch
1. Breath, i.e.,
a. the breath of life; the vital force which
animates the body and shows itself is
breathing;
b. life:
c. that in which there is life; a living being:
a living soul,
(W. E. Vine – Expository Dictionary of N. T.
Words, Page 54, Vol. 4)
2. the soul,
a. the seat of the feelings, desires,
affections, aversions,
b. the (human) soul is so far as it is so
constituted that by the right use of the aids
offered it by God it can attain its highest
end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul
regarded as a moral being designed for
everlasting life;
c. the soul as an essence which differs from the
body and is not dissolved by death. The
soul freed from the body, a disembodied
soul”.
(Thayer – Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament, Page 677)
II. From this it is clear that the word “soul” is not used
to refer to the body or life, but is sometimes used in
the Bible, both Old and New Testament to refer to the
immaterial, invisible part of man, the inward man,
essence which differs from the body and is not
dissolved by death.
III. It is here that we must focus our attention. It will
avail nothing as far as this discussion is concerned
to take or use passages which use the word “soul” in
reference to the seat of personality; the seat of the
sentient element in man, that by which he perceives,
reflects, feels, and desires; the seat of will and
purpose; the seat of appetite; as the persons,
individuals; of dead bodies; or as the natural life of
the body, the breath of life, the vital force which
animates the body and shows itself in breathing.
IV. We must discuss passages which have to do with the
“soul” as “an essence which differs from the body and
is not dissolved by death. A disembodied soul.”PROPOSITION: “The Scriptures teach that the soul or spirit or man is not dissolved by death, but goes into “hades” to await the resurrection.” I. Rachel’s soul departed her body when she died,
Genesis 35:18. II. John saw the souls of those who were beheaded.
Revelation 6:9; 20:4.
1. These were alive.
2. These were conscious.
3. These remembered what happened on earth.
4. These spoke.
5. These were spoken unto, therefore, could
understand. III. Jesus died, but his soul was in “hades”. Psalms
16:8-10; Acts 2:27, 31.
1. The word “hell” (King James) here is the Greek
word “Hadou” (aidou), which is the genitive case
of the word “Hadas” (aidhs). Thus it signifies
that the soul of Jesus came “out of” or “from”
Hades (aidhs).
2. Hades (aidhs) defined: “Not to be seen”…”It
denotes, therefore, in Biblical Greek, Orcus, the
infernal regions, a dark and dismal place in the
very depths of the earth, the common receptable
of disembodied spirits: Luke 16:23”. (Thayer –
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, page
11).
3. Where was Christ’s soul?
a. In “hell” or “hades”. The place of departed
spirits.
b. This was not the grave.
(1) Vines, in discussing the word “hades”
says, “It never denotes the grave, nor is it
the permanent region of the lost; in point of
time it is, intermediate between decease and
the doom of Gehenna”. (Vines, Expository
Dictionary of New Testament Words, page 188,
Vol. 2)
c. This was not heaven where God dwells.
(1) Jesus said to the thief, “This day shalt
thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43
(2) Jesus went to “hell” or “hades”. Paradise
is in the hadean world.
(3) After his resurrection, Jesus had not yet
been to his Father. John 20:17 IV. God is the God Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But He
is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Mark
12:26-27
1. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died.
2. God is still their God.
3. God is not the God of the dead, but of the
living.
4. Therefore, they had a soul that didn’t die. V. Moses and Elias on the Mt. of Transfiguration.
Matthew 17:1-5.
1. Elijah had been translation without seeing death.
2. Moses had died.
3. Both appeared together.
4. Both were alive, conscious, and talked with Jesus.
5. In death, Moses was apparently equal with Elijah
who had been translated. VI. “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.”
Matthew 10:28
1. Man is able to destroy animal’s life.
2. Man is able to destroy men’s life.
3. Man has a soul that man cannot destroy. VII. When man dies, his body returns to dust, but his
spirit returns to God. Ecclesiastes 12:7
1. This shows clearly that the body and the spirit
are not the same and that the spirit is not
dissolved at death.
2. When Stephen died, he said, “Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit”. Acts 7:59-60
3. When Jesus died, he said, “Father, into thy hands
I commend my spirit:” Luke 23:46VIII. Man is made in the image and likeness of God.
Genesis 1:26-27.
1. God is a spirit. John 4:24
a. God is flesh and blood. John 4:24; Luke 24:39
b. Our likeness to God is not in regard to
attributes such as love, kindness, etc.
c. But, man was given a soul or spirit of which
God is the Father. Ecclesiastes 12:7; Hebrews
12:9
2. Christ was in the form of God. Equal with God.
Philippians 2:6, Yet Christ was made in likeness
of men.
a. Christ was Spirit. (in form or likeness of
God) John 4:24
b. Christ took upon himself likeness of men, i.e.,
a fleshly body.
c. Christ being in likeness of men, had an
immortal spirit.
3. “For we are also His offspring.” “Forasmuch then
as we are the offspring of God.” Acts 17:28-29
a. God is not flesh and blood, not made out of the
dust of the earth. John 4:24; Luke 24:39
b. Simply “life or breath” does not make us the
offspring of God. Dogs, cows, and beasts have
life or breath, but are not considered in the
scriptures as the offspring of God in the sense
that man is.
c. Therefore, man has a soul or spirit in likeness
of God that never dies. IX. The seed illustrates the point. John 12:24; 1
Corinthians 15:35-38
1. The seed, wheat, corn, etc., is made up of the
body and the kernel or germ which contains life.
2. When the seed is buried, the body decays, but the
germ is quickened and brings forth a new body.
3. So likewise, when man dies the body decays and
returns to dust whence it came.
4. But the soul or spirit does not return to dust but
to God, Ecclesiastes 12:7.
5. And in the day of the resurrection shall come
forth with a new body as it pleases God. X. Paul desired to be absent from the body and present
with the Lord. Philippians 1:23-24; 2 Corinthians
5:1-8
1. Paul understood that at death the soul or spirit
lived on. That it was not dissolved or did not
cease to exist. XI. Jacob “yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto
his people.” Genesis 49:33
1. He was gathered unto his people when he yielded up
the ghost.
2. But his body was later embalmed. Genesis 50:2
3. Forty days were fulfilled and then the Egyptians
mourned threescore and ten or seventy days.
4. After this Joseph took his body up to bury him in
the land of Canaan.
5. Hence, the only way in which he could have been
gathered unto his people at the time that he
yielded up the ghost was for his spirit or soul to
go into the hadean realm where they were. XII. Outward man perishes, Inward man renewed. 2
Corinthians 4:16
1. There is an “inward man” which is distinguished
from the body.
2. One is a Jew is one inwardly. Romans 2:29
3. Paul delighted in the law of God after the inner
man. Romans 7:22
4. Titus was refreshed in his spirit because the
Corinthians and his inward affection was more
abundant toward them. 2 Corinthians 7:15XIII. Man can be:
1. Alive physically, but dead spiritually. 1 Timothy
5:6; Revelation 3:1.
2. Alive spiritually, but dead physically. Matthew
17:3; 1 Samuel 28:3-25.
3. Alive both physically and spiritually. Luke 15:25-
32; Proverbs 12:28.
4. Dead both physically and spiritually. Matthew
8:22; Rich man, Luke 16.
5. Therefore, man is a twofold being with both body
and soul and the soul is eternal in that it does
not die or cease to exist when the body dies, but
awaits the resurrection when it shall be raised
and judged.
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