.
What is soul sleep?
by Matt Slick
Christian Apologetics and Research
Ministry.
Soul sleep is the
teaching that when a person dies, his soul "sleeps" until the time of
the future resurrection.
In this condition,
the person is not aware or conscious.
The Jehovah's
Witnesses and the Seventh-day Adventists hold to this doctrine.
But the Jehovah's
Witnesses teach annihilation. This means that after death a person ceases to
exist. At the future resurrection they maintain that the soul is made
again. Basically, it is a re-creation of the individual.
The Seventh-day Adventists teach that the soul
is simply inert and resides in the memory of God.
The primary verses
used to support soul sleep are found in Ecclesiastes:
“For the living
know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer
a reward, for their memory is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5)
"then the
dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who
gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
Ecclesiastes must be
understood in the context of its own commentary, which says at the opening of
the book,
"The words of
the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Vanity of
vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” 3 What advantage
does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes
1:1-3).
The writer is telling
us how things are from the human perspective, from "under the sun."
The Preacher is not
telling us doctrinal statements about whether or not the soul continues after
death.
Besides, it is a
mistake to use the Old Testament to interpret the New Testament.
It is the New Testament
that sheds light on the Old Testament.
In the New Testament we see Paul say in 2 Corinthians 5:8, "we are of good courage, I say, and
prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."
Paul is clearly
telling us that when he dies, he will go and be with the Lord.
Furthermore, at the
Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8) we see Moses and Elijah who were
alive. There was no soul sleep with them.
Therefore, the
doctrine of soul sleep is incorrect.
The soul continues on
after death. The wicked face the judgment of God, and the Christians will
dwell in His presence.
Both Jehovah's
Witnesses and the Seventh-day Adventists groups are
in error about soul sleep.
Matt Slick is the President and
Founder of the Christian Apologetics and ResearchMinistry.
You might also like:
Awake beyond the Grave: What the Bible Says about Soul Sleep
Life after Death Experiences
Present with the Lord
Where Could I Go But to the Lord
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