Bible Questions and Answers
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Thanks for your question.
You may be surprised to know that the Bible teaches that the only person to ever have gone to heaven is Jesus and he is coming back to earth! You might argue that Enoch, Moses, and Elijah must have gone to heaven. However, a careful reading of scripture puts that idea to rest.
To find Bible passages which say that upon death our souls or spirits go directly to heaven or some other realm waiting for the coming of Christ is an impossible task. Such a notion is not taught in the Bible. The Bible clearly teaches that death is real and that we "sleep in the dust of the earth" - see Job 7:21; Daniel 12:2.
Here's what the Bible says about immortality:
1. Immortality
a. Nowhere in the Bible do we find the words "Immortal Soul”
b. Possessed only by God - 1 Timothy 6:16
c. revealed by Christ - 2 Timothy 1:10
d. Must be sought for - Romans 2:7
e. Granted at the resurrection as a gift – Romans 6:22; 1 Corinthians 15:53
Dust - Breath of life = a dead soul - Genesis 18:27
g. Ezekiel 18:4; Galatians 3:22; Romans 3:23 The soul that sins shall die; All souls sin; Therefore all souls die
2. Definitions
a. Soul: Hebrew = Nephesh; Greek = Psuche refers to any living, breathing, creature.
Genesis 1:20,21,24,28; 2:7; Numbers 31:28; Revelation 16:3
b. Spirit: Hebrew = Ruach; Greek = Pneuma
i. Energy of life or breath – Psalm 104:30; Job 34:14
ii. At death, this energy returns to God and the body to dust – Ecclesiastes 12:7
iii. Give up the ghost (i.e. the spirit) = to expire; to die; Greek = ekpsucho, literally to breathe out. See Acts 5:5,10; 12:23; ekpneo - Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46
Where was Jesus after his death on the cross? He was in the grave until he was brought back to life at his resurrection. It was only after the resurrection that he ascended into heaven. No other person before or since has ascended into heaven. John 3:13; Acts 2:34
4. Until the resurrection, the dead are dead
a. No thoughts - Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10; Psalm 146:3,4
b. No remembrance of God - Psalm 6:5; 88:5,10,12; 115:17
c. Dead as though they had never lived - Job 10:18,19
d. Mankind dies like the animals - Psalm 49:12,20; Ecclesiastes 3:19,20
e. Death without understanding is destruction - Isaiah 26:14,15; Ephesians 2:12; Romans 2:12; Jeremiah 51:39
f. Death in Christ = a sleep 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; 1 Corinthians 15:6
5. Death is real, the result of sin – Romans 5:12; 6:23
6. Resurrection is the only hope of immortality – Job 19:26; John 5:28,29; 1 Corinthians 15:16; 2 Timothy 4:1,8
After Death, What?
Heaven and Hell
I hope you have found this helpful.
God bless!
Mike,
thisisyourbible.com
