What is the soul? The word soul means (spirit, character, or personality). One common way of using spirit is (Jack has an upbeat spirit). In other translation, Jack is a positive minded individual. So therefore, when God breathe in man the breath of life – God gave man an identity … A physical body with the ability to think and feel. “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 being.” - Genesis 2:7
What is death? “For as the body without the spirit is dead” – James 2:26. Death is a state of when the physical body can no longer feel. When a person is dead they lost the ability to think, and they become fully unconscious. “For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. 6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going." - (Ecclesiastes 9:5)
When a person dies, do they go to heaven? Let’s see what the bible has to say. “For as the body without the spirit is dead” – James 2:26. A light bulb can be used to best explain this question. Whenever the power is cut off from the bulb, the light disappears. One will not argue that the light is floating around above our heads... logic would say it vanishes and is no longer exist (it goes no-where). This is similar to a dead man… the breath vanishes and his physical body stays in the grave. A prime example is King David! The bible reads, "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... clearly the apostles used David as a prime example to answer the question of life after death. To the Jews, if David is not in heaven, then no one else is apart from the biblical account of the few who went there alive. In the bible, Job says, "If I wait, the grave is mine house." - Job 17:13
One misconception people have about a dead person is that the inner spirit floats off to heaven. But this is not true! Notice what the Word of God says, “So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep…. His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he does not perceive it”- Job 14:12, 21.
Didn't Jesus brought the thief on the cross with Him to paradise the same day He died? No! Let’s look what the scripture has to teach. First of all, the language that the bible was written in did not use commas or periods. Those were added by the translators when they translated the bible into our language for it to make sense and for easy reading. If you should replace the comma from (Luke 23:43), it would have a different meaning…… “And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” In this unedited version, it clearly says that they both were to be in paradise that very day. But look what happen when the comma is placed in a different location. “And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.” … Changing the comma did change the meaning. Now the promise becomes future tense without a confirmed date; and that very day was the date that Jesus made the promise. To support this very thing, after Jesus rose He clearly tells Mary that He didn’t went to heaven, but was in the grave. Look at John20:17, “Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father.” Jesus, three days after his resurrection told Mary that He didn’t go to the father as yet. That simple means that if He had brought the thief to paradise on the day of His death, then He would have been lying about not going to heaven. That thief is in the grave waiting the resurrection!
People are not in heaven at this present moment. They are in the grave awaiting the second coming of Christ. Reading from the bible goes, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Here Paul is telling us that at the coming of Christ, the righteous Christians will be called from the grave. They will be resurrected when Christ Himself self descends from heaven. Christ will descend (come down), and the saints will rise (go up to meet Him). Consider this question: Why would Christ call them from the grave if they were with Him in heaven?
When are we rewarded? The bible says, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” - John 5:28-29. (Everyone is rewarded at the second coming of Christ). "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." - Revelation 22:12.……… “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” - 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
What is that reward? (The reward is eternal life for the righteous, and death for the wicked); (Read john 3:16). That simple means that no-one lives after death. According to (1 Timothy 6:16), only God alone has immortality. So for us to believe that a person lives on without dying, we are crediting the prerogative of God to man.
So, why is it then that love ones visited with me? The bible gives a simple answer for this, "They are the spirits of devils, working miracles." - Revelation 16:14. It is an abomination to communicate with unfamiliar spirits, since it is the devil and his angels masquerading as dead people. He is out trying to deceive those who are ignorant of his deceptions. Only knowing the truth can set you free from this delusion. In (Genesis 3:4), when he told our first parent that we shall live on forever, he’s still in the business of lying.
To be secure from his deceptions, we must study the word of God fervently. “They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." - Acts 17:11. "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." - Isaiah 8:20. The reason why God’s people won’t be deceived is because they study and know the truth. Jesus warns that “false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” - Matthew 24:24.
Finally, the good news is that after Jesus returns again, there won’t be any more death. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." - Revelation 21:4.
Now that the truth was presented to you, will you chose to believe God’s words?
