CHAP. 6 SLEEP OF THE DEAD
If the soul is not immortal, just what does happen when someone dies? Let us examine the scriptures to see what they say about this important subject.
Eccl 9:5-10 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
According to Solomon, the wisest man on earth, the dead know not anything. All of their feelings, emotions, and knowledge are perished. For all intentional purposes then, they basically do not exist, which is what death is, none existence. The bible however, refers to the dead in a more politically correct way, if you will, one that is easier for us to accept. The bible refers to the dead as being asleep from one end of it to the other. This is a fit description, since sleep is a state of unconsciousness. A person that is sleeping has no awareness at all of what is going on in the world around them, nor are they able to participate in anything in the world around them. Yet sleep ends, when they are awakened.
Job 14:10-15 10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
Job referred to the dead as sleeping. He even referred to the resurrection, when the Lord would call forth those in the grave. The change he speaks of in verse fourteen is no doubt the change from mortal to immortal at Christ's second coming.
Dan 12:1-2 1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Daniel also spoke of the dead as asleep. Verse two is unquestionably a reference to the resurrection at the second coming.
Ps 13:3 3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
David also referred to death as a sleep. All through the old testament those who died were referred to as sleeping with their fathers. The same terminology is used in the new testament, and even by Christ himself on both occasions when raising the dead.
Luke 8:52-56 52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
John 11:11-15 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.
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
Jesus did not say that either of the people he raised from the dead were in heaven, or hell, but simply that they were asleep. Notice what Martha said to Jesus when he went to her and Mary to raise their brother from the grave.
John 11:20-25 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Martha understood that the those who sleep in the grave will be called forth from the grave in the last day at the resurrection. Jesus told her, " I am the resurrection, and the life " and then proceeded to prove it by raising her brother, who had been in the tomb for four days. This same thing Jesus will do again for all those who have died in him, when he returns again. Observe the following.
1Thes 4:13-18 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
In the above scriptures concerning the resurrection, the apostle Paul refers to the dead as sleeping three times. In the previous chapter we quoted some other verses from Paul’s writings that also addressed the resurrection, the dead are referred to as sleeping in these verses also. As previously stated, in order to establish a biblical doctrine, the scriptures must be considered in their entirety. Anyone can take just a few verses, and make them say whatever they wish. Although there are a few verses that seem to suggest that the dead are conscious, the overwhelming weight of scriptural evidence from one end of the bible to the other is to the contrary. These few verses are being misunderstood, and miss applied.
It is of course a doctrine of the church of Rome, that the dead go to heaven, hell, or purgatory at death. The writer will not even waste any time addressing the false doctrine of purgatory. However, by teaching that the saints are alive and in heaven now, the church of Rome again separates humanity from Christ. Those who accept her teachings, pray to certain of the Saints, Mary in particular. By praying to the dead, these deluded souls have been separated from the only one who can hear and answer their prayers, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Christ alone who mediates between man and God the Father in his sanctuary in heaven. The bible condemns communication with the dead for a very good reason. As already pointed out, the dead know not anything. This being the case, those who think they are communicating with the dead, must really be communicating with someone else. That someone else is certainly not God, for he condemns the act. To be sure, Satan and his angles will answer as the dead to those wishing to communicate with the dead, whenever God himself allows it.
Lev 19:31 31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Lev 20:6 6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Deut 18:10-12 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
1 Chr 10:13-14 13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it;
14 And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
One of the reasons God allowed Saul to be killed, and turned his kingdom over to David, was because he sought communication with the dead. It is obvious from this incident, that one who seeks communication with the dead, is not seeking communication with God. Nor is it God who answers the prayers of one who prays to the dead. Since the Devil is the father of this lie, that is the immortality of the soul, it is only right, that if anyone, he should answer those who accept this lie by seeking communication with the dead.
Isa 8:19-20 19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
The present Pope believes that Mary saved his life when an attempt was made to assassinate him years ago. He leans heavily upon her intercession for his church, and humanity as a whole. Mary is dead, she knows not anything, and is incapable of doing anything for anybody. Millions of Roman Catholics around the world are praying to dead people that cannot help them in any way. They should be praying to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is able to save to the uttermost, all who call upon his name. Sadly, they have been taught to rely upon others. No doubt, Satan himself will and does do all he can to support this lie, for he is the father of it.
Bye for now. Y. b. in C. Keith
