ABOUT SOUL, HELL AND FOOD

Christ calms soul, but not blood.

About a question: "What is soul?" we can testify: "Once the Lord Jesus called me to Him and calmed me inside, He calmed my soul. My blood was not boiling, but my soul was hurting, was hurting something in my breast and since the day of repentance till today there is calmness. We can also ask: what part of human being hurts in psychiatric clinics? Maybe breath or blood? But if a person is persistent, he can notice that in the Scripture the word "soul" has not the only one meaning. Sometimes it is used concerning people: "…No soul of you shall eat blood…" Lev.17:12. In other places it is used in meaning of something whole in relation with feelings, for example, calling words of Christ: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden…and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Mat.11:28-29. To think that God wants to calm a man's life down is not right, because it is not easy to be a Christian, so many of died being tortured! Christian outer life is not smooth. The true Christian, who has experienced birth from above (see John3:1-12), can testify about his calmness inside and he can say: "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."2Cor.4:16. "Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." Luke4:4. It will be unreasonable to say that our body feeds on words, because our soul, which casts down within us, feeds of words (Ps.42:6).

People do not understand soul as something living apart from body, but understand it as a principle of biological life. They say that a man has no soul, that it is blood, using the following verses: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; for the life of all flesh is the blood" Lev.17:11,14. These verses say that physical life of a man is in his blood, blood is the transporter of life in the whole body. ("And surely your blood of your lives will I require" Gen.9:5a). Flesh and blood are material and all this is perishable, because "…flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" 1Cor.15:50. They also show the verse: "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ez.18:4 and explain that soul dies, that it is not eternal. But if there is no soul, how can it sin? Isn't it clear that the word "soul" in this context is used instead of words life and man? A man who sins will die.

Mark Frinley writes: "The word "soul" is used about 1600 times in the Bible, but there is no place where we could see words "immortal soul" ("Examining together" p.73). Here is the main argument for that thought that there's no eternal soul. I leave to the reader to think about this argument, because if we have such an apologetic way of thoughts, we would be able to reject a lot of things from the Bible, because of the reason that there's no thing which we're looking for. Equally well Jehovah Witnesses reject the triplicity of God, because in the Bible there's no word "Trinity".

The Scripture tells us that soul is something separate from body. That's what we read in the Old Testament about one case with the prophet Elijah: "cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." 1Kings17:21-22. Did God really give back blood to the child? Did it really come back to the child after being somewhere? Or maybe "life" walked somewhere and came back? Then we should do as every one of us did concerning God. At first we accepted that there's some good power and then accepted that it as a living Personality.

One youth fell down from the third floor and Paul, who came close to him, said: "…Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him." Acts20:10. Does Apostle really say that blood hasn't dripped out of him? Notice that people say about him that he is dead, that means that there was no life in his body. "And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died" Gen.38:18-19. Our soul and body belong to God: "…glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1Cor.6:20. "But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn." Job14:22. It is clearly said that body and soul are separated substances.

Man's spirit

The Scripture opens that every man has a spirit and it is his personal, because God created man's spirit and it is contained in a man as something separated from body: "…the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him." Zech.12:1. And this spirit is staying awake in man (read Mat.26:41). Man's spirit can be saved or lost, Paul testifies about it: "…that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."1Cor.5:5. Our spirit has features of a personality. It is able to perceive: "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?" 1Cor.2:11. Our spirit is able to testify: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" Rom.8:16.

The man is triple, as well as God is

The man has spirit, soul and body as components. He is triple, being a resemblance of God: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless…" 1Thes.5:23. The man has soul and it is not blood, because blood is a part of body. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb.4:12 ("joints and marrow" - body).

Spirit, soul and body after death

If the reader comes to conclusion that he has body, filled with blood, and soul, and spirit, a question would appear: "What will happen to him after death?" Many people believe that a man goes to non-existence and stops existing as a personality, using the following verse: "…there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Eccl.9:10. But this was before resurrection of Christ.

Righteous men had hope that once they'll be taken from this hell, from this non-existence: "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell..." Ps.16:10. When in the Old Testament people had concept that God would take their souls from hell, which was the place of temporary staying for righteous men and also others. We should understand that in grave stops activity of body (work), as well as work of brain, because knowledge shall be done away (1Cor.13:9-10). Jesus Christ was in hell, but this wasn't common place of existing yet. The Scripture opens that the gospel was also preached to dead people, and Jesus Christ was there: "By which also he (Jesus) went and preached unto the spirits in prison" 1Pet.3:19. "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." 1Pet.4:6. The text says about literally dead, because in 5th verse alive people are mentioned, who must come to judgment with dead, but those who are alive by spirits don't come to judgment (see Eph.4:9). When the Lord Jesus died He defeated devil: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Cor.15:55,57. At the moment of death the Lord defeated devil, He died and took righteous men: "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." Mat.27:50-53. Notice that they came out of the graves "after His resurrection". By His resurrection Jesus Christ completely defeated devil and took in His hands the keys of hell and death. Since that moment hell became a place of torments, a place where unrighteous men go, but paradise (Abraham's bosom) is residence of God's children. For God, Who has no time, everything has already happened. If Christ was in hell, it means that He existed after death, as well as those, to whom He went!

Spirit will come back to God, but soul? Soul also has its purpose. The place of staying of soul depends on what a man will choose here on Earth. The Lord warns: "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." Mat.10:28. To go to paradise we must be born again, because "…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John3:3.

After death is existence and Apostle Paul testifies about it: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." Phil.1:21-24. If a man sleeps until resurrection, does he really gain anything by his death? "He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living" Mark12:27. Paul knows that it is better to die, because there the meeting with Christ is waiting for him. Once Solomon said that there's no difference between righteous men and unrighteous, because everyone dies, but the Lord Jesus changed this condition: "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." John11:25-26, it means exists forever, but not disappear! Death is separating of soul from body, and a man who is born again, who has Son in his heart (Rev.3:20=>1John5:12) doesn't go to any non-existence but settles with God: "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."2Cor.5:8.How easily it is opened that body stays, but soul settles with God. Apostle Peter says: "Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me." 2Pet.1:13-14. Souls of righteous men are settled with God, and they're in consciousness there. Apostle John tells us what he saw: "…I saw the souls of them that were beheaded…" Rev.20:4; "…I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God…" Rev.6:9. Mark Frinley is not agree that here is said about souls only because in the Old Testament Abel's blood cried to God (Gen.4:10), and as it is not personality, in Rev.6:9 we should use the same approach. We think that John had no hallucinations to see blood which would cry also for blood. Man's soul is acting also on Earth: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3John1:2.

Death is not full devastation, but it is conscious existing about which is said in Mat.17:1-3 when Moses and Elijah talk to Jesus. Moses' body is dead. According to some points of view his soul is also dead. So who spoke to Jesus? Moses as an alive soul spoke to Him, he was alive and in consciousness! That's why death is only separating, but not disappearing. Sadducees and today's Adventists have much in common. They also do not believe in life after death as believed then (Acts23:8). The Lord said to such people: "…Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." Mat.22:29. And below he continues "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" and these words say that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are not sleeping somewhere, but they're living, otherwise God would say: "I was God of Abraham". The Lord says in Luke 20:38: "For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him", and if they're living, they live after death.

Torments in hell?

Everyone is agree that there'll be paradise, it doesn't matter where, but will there be hell? People look at God narrowly; they see Him only from one side. Torments are rejected by the following question: "God is our Father, Father of love, and which father is able to send His son to torments, death and hell?" The Scripture affirms: "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all" Rom.8:32. Here is the answer; it is said exactly about it. God has spared not His only Son… will He spare those who rely on God's love and impunity? God, besides He is love, is righteous Judge, He is also justice itself and he must punish in eternity those who trample on spilled blood of His beloved Son. Death is not disappearing and hell is not illusion, because God's Son would not torment so much! Hell is a horrible reality of endless justice of God towards soul of unbelievers. God's indignation and anger will fall on all unbelievers (Rom.2:8-9). Also Apostle John affirms it, saying about everlasting torment of those who serve the beast: "…the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation…" Rev.14:10. God is not only love, but also justice and not He condemns people, but people condemn themselves: "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Mat.12:37. Hell is "wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever." 2Pet.2:17.

"But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Heb.10:27-29,31. The Scripture shows the difference between death for sin and punishment for it after death. To interpret that for his sins the sinner will give account by usual going to non-existence is not fairly.

(*It is counted that in the Bible there are much more places which say about torments in hell than about felicity in paradise. Job says: "Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness." Job10:20-22. "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Is.33:14. "For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth." Is.38:18. The Lord Jesus asks sinners: "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Mat.23:33. And He answers Himself that only He can save them (John8:36). He didn't ask, how they will run away from death, because it is clear that "it is appointed unto men once to die" Heb.9:27.

In the first resurrection, "resurrection of righteous", spirit and body, separated by physical death, will unite again; and a man, who believed in Christ as in his personal savior, will get "glorified" body, fitted for felling enjoyments of the everlasting felicity. But those sinners who will resurrect 1000 years later (Rev.20:5) will get bodies, fitted for feeling everlasting torments, "everlasting death". Everlasting death concludes in thing that soul, resurrected in new body and put into permanent death agony, will be dieing but will never be able die. People on Earth will torment but won't be able to die (Rev.9:6). All the more there; the last sigh, by which ends death agony of a man, will never visit sinner's resurrected body or his condemned soul.

"God often talks about destruction…" - people say. And even give the cases with flood and Sodom: "…I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth…" Gen.6:7. It is right! But didn't God add and explain: "from the face of the earth"? Can we affirm that it is said about eternal destruction, when Christ Himself tells us that these people, destroyed by God in the beginning if humanity's history, have to appear before God's judgment in the end of days? (Mark 6:11).

Of course, it would be much more convenient for sinners to just disappear and be destroyed forever than to appear before Righteous Judge. About this wish to disappear is written in Revelation: "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Rev.6:14-17.

It is strange that people, mentioned in these verses, pray not about salvation of their souls but about their destruction, they pray not to God, but to mountains and rocks. However, their prayer about their full destruction was not heard, as we see. Hope of Adventists of full destruction will lead them to the same bitter disappointment.

Hell is inflamed

English word "hell" (Greek - "hades"; Jew. - "sheol") - is a place of men's temporary staying. The word "hades" is met in the New Testament 10 times translated by the word "hell". The word "sheol" is never used in cases where speech goes about a place of burial of dead people. In all cases where is written the word "sheol" is meant a place of staying of "spirits, gone away from dead body". Only in several places of the Old Testament this Hebrew word "sheol" is used in meaning of grave (Gen.37:35; 1Sam.2:6; Job 14:13). The basic meaning of Greek word "hades" is place where dead are staying since the moment of their physical death till the day of the "first" or "second" resurrection.

From Christ's story about the rich man and Lazarus we conclude that "hades" was divided into "Abraham's bosom" - a place of staying of righteous men and "hell" - a place of torments of sinners. Everything was changed when Christ "went to hell (hades) and preached unto the spirits in prison" 1Pet.3:19. Taken from the Calvary cross and buried body of Christ was laying in tomb, but Christ's Spirit "went to prison", to "hades" or "hell" towards righteous men of the Old Testament. Since the moment of Christ's visit of "hades", mentioned above, everything was changed. Only sinners were left in "hades". By His victorious resurrection Christ "captured captivity", "took keys of hell and of death", triumphed over death and leaded to freedom prisoners of "hades". And since that time people who die in the Lord are blessed; they go away from their bodies and become present in the Lord, not in "hades" (2Cor.5:1-8). Since that time to "hades" go only those who die without repentance and birth from above, without Christ in their hearts, without the Holy Spirit in their spirits.

At the day of God's Judgment "hell" ("hades") will give up the soul of a man, but "death" (grave) will give up his body, and the whole man ("living soul", "whole spirit and soul and body") will appear before the White Throne to hear God's verdict and to go to hell fire forever, to that place of everlasting punishment which as called as "second death" and "lake of fire". "Second death" is the last death, everlasting death, after which there'll be no third resurrection.

In ancient times by the word "hell" Hebrews called a dump in valley of Hinnom, where trash of Jerusalem was burnt out. In a deep narrow gorge fire never stopped burning, garbage and sewage never stopped decomposing. In the beginning Solomon has built a heathen temple for a foreign god, the abomination of Moab, Chemosh. Later godless kings Ahaz and Manasseh leaded through fire their sons, making sacrifices and incenses for different idols (2Kings16, 2Chr.38). Gates and regions bordering to "hell" were called "Tophet". Prophets often used the word "Topheth", but in figurative sense: "Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet" Jer.19:12.

But God has another "Tophet": "For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it." Is.30:33.

Christ said: "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." Mat.10:28. Christ here clearly differentiates soul and body and talks about "hell" no for body, but for soul.

The rich man and Lazarus

Luke16:19-31.

The story about "the rich man and Lazarus" is an invented story for Adventists, because there are some moments which are impossible for them or lead everything to the point that it is a parable. They ask a question: "Is hell word to word far from paradise that someone who is in hell could talk to someone who is in heaven?" Such questions ask only those who not believe in God, and this can be attached to every incredible event written in the Bible. There are few boundaries in spiritual world and it cannot be measured by our material concepts. In all cases where Christ was talking by parables there are explanations: "And he spake also a parable unto them", "And he spake many things unto them in parables", "Hear another parable", "he added and spake a parable". When disciples didn't understand the inner spiritual meaning of the spoken parable they usually asked Christ to explain its sense. Sometimes Christ Himself advised them: "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower". He didn't say anything like that to disciples after telling them the story about the rich man and Lazarus. Christ even said the name of Lazarus, but didn't say the rich man's name because of reasons, which only He knows. Adventist should understand the truth that God didn't give "the rich man" a "second chance" for salvation after his death. We read in the story about the rich man and Lazarus that their bodies slept in graves till the day of resurrection from dead, but the spirit left the body continued living after burial, because spirit doesn't die and doesn't sleep. It is said about Abraham: "Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people." Gen.25:8, it means - "unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect" Heb.12:22-23.

Although in the Old Testament the word "sleep" means death, it is never used in descriptions of immaterial nature of human, who, as the Scripture teaches, was created after His likeness (Gen.1:26-27). This fact is in power also in the New Testament, on this point symphonies of Strong or Young. The term "sleep" is always related to body, because in condition of death body looks like a sleeping man. But there are no combinations in Scripture like "sleeping soul" or "soul's sleep", because it is nowhere written that soul ever sleeps or is in unconscious condition. People can make such a conclusion only after deciding that death means sleep or unconscious condition. Consequently, every time when they meet the word "death", they attach to it the meaning of a temporary absence of consciousness and in that way just throw out from the Scripture.

In the 1st epistle to Thessalonians, 4th chapter, Apostle Paul said about coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and advisedly used the word "asleep" figuratively signifying death (1Thes.4:13-18). His position is as follows: "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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." The 14th shows that when Jesus will come back he will bring (Greek sun) with Himself those whose bodies are dead. For better clarity we'll say that souls and spirits of those who are now with Christ in glory (2Cor.5:8; Philip.1:22-23) will be united with their resurrected bodies (1Cor.15), it means they will be put on immortality, they will stop subjecting to physical decomposition and will come with Jesus. Greek word "sun" points on arrangement "side by side", and bodies of dead will revive at that moment, will resurrect in immortality and flow together with perfect spirit of returning saints.

For anyone who knows exegetics this text would be enough to become ensured that these "fallen asleep with Christ" are bodies of these people, but coming with Christ. From exegetic point of view it is impossible to imagine that everything would be otherwise. So, for a Christian physical death means only sleep of body, waiting for the resurrection in immortality after uniting of resurrected body with its perfect soul and spirit. However, the intermediate phase (if we die before coming of the Lord) will definitely finish by uniting with Him and returning with Him or, as Apostle Paul said that we will be "absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." 2Cor.5:8.

The Scripture says that unrighteous people will be judged: "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness…And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness…These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever." (2Pet.2:9-13,17). "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly" (2Pet.2:4,6). By this God showed all unrighteous what they are waiting for. He loves, but He also judges!

I offer the reader to think about verses from the Bible himself: "can loving God allow that one Christian was speaking about God all his life (to say the truth they have different gods), but another worldly man was blaspheming God and those who believe in Him and go to a "resort", to "eternal disappearing"? (Imagine that believer was cruelly tormented in prisons for all his life). Will it be justly from God's side? He has always been, He is and He will ever be a righteous Judge and Satanists and those who go against God must account for their service. Those, who were trampling God's love, must taste His rage and anger!

Devils also testify about torments which are waiting for them: "And, behold, they cried out, saying, what have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Mat.8:29. "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev.20:10,15. (Notice: "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." Rev.20:14. People ask question: "How death and hell are cast into the lake of fire?" It is impossible, they do not exist. At first, hell exists because death exists, this hell is placed above the Earth (Philip.2:10; 1Pet.3:19). And because the Earth will burn up (2Pet.3:10) God prepared for it a place in created lake of fire.)

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; … Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" Mat.25:34,41. "And these (cursed) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Mat.25:46. (Also Dan.12:2). If "everlasting punishment" is understood "spiritually" as going to non-existence in sleeping condition, then eternal life should be also understood "spiritually"?! As there is no everlasting punishment, there must be no everlasting life!

Adventists like to ask: "How other believers don't see the commandment about Sabbath?" But here another question appears: "How they do not see that the Lord Jesus warns people about existence of hell so much and was is it a "joke" really? And if Adventists word to word observe Sabbath, why don't they word to word follow rules for this day? (Watch 2.4).