The Sunday News
Evangelist Justice Ndlovu
AS we continue our study on the state of the dead we discover that the word soul in the OT refers to the living being, person or individual. In relation to Genesis 2:7 the Soul or Living Soul as the Bible puts it is body + breath of life (spirit). Job 27:3 “All the while my breath (ruwach) (is) in me, and the spirit (nishmat) of God (is)in my nostrils;” King James Version.
Again here notice the spirit is in the nostrils. Another question to ask the Bible is; was man created with immortality or is there an immortal soul according to the general definition of a soul by man.
Looking at a few examples of the word soul from a few verses will reveal that the soul according to the Bible refers to the person. Psalms 22:20 “Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog”. David in this psalm is crying for deliverance from the sword making it clear that the soul is not an invisible entity, otherwise, the sword cannot harm it if it was. Psalms 30:3“O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit”. In this psalm again the soul can go to the grave which clearly implies it’s a physical being. Again, we find a similar scenario in Psalms 49:15.” But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah”. The soul is doubtlessly has to be the person who can die and be buried in simpler terms.
The New Testament Hebrew word for soul is psucheen/psuchai meaning life, mind, soul, you, us. Examples of verses where this is used and the contextual meaning that can be deduced; 1 Corinth 15:45 “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul (psuchai); the last Adam (was made) a quickening spirit (pneuma).” Therefore, clearly soul in the New Testament still means person, life, me etc and not an invisible entity. Again, Acts 2:41 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptised: and the same day there were added (unto them) about three thousand souls (psuchai).” Acts 27:37 “And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls (psuchai).” KJV and in NIV” and in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons (psuchai) the ship.”
Romans 13:1 “Let every soul (psuchai) be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God”. KJV and NIV says,” Let every person be subject to the governing authorities . . .” There are more examples, we can go on and on and in all the verses, the soul is not an invisible entity but a living being, for further study you can consider a few more, these are Acts 27:22; Matt 2:19,20; Matt 20:28. Of interest is Matt 16:26 which is explain in the Bible by Luke 9:25. Matt 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul (psuchai)?” Luke 9:25 “For what is a man advantaged, if he gains the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”
Let’s consider another expression to “give up the ghost” which is often abused or used to justify the theory that the soul is an invisible entity that leaves a person at death. The expression “give up the ghost” is translated from the Hebrew word exepsuxen (a compound word psuchai with a propositional prefix exe) meaning to expire or die. Using a few verses where the word is used Acts12:23 “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost (exepsuxen)”KJV.” A similar verse in NIV “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died (exepsuxen).” Comparing the two versions clarifies the meaning of the expression used in KJV. Another verse is Acts 5:10 “Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost (exepsuxen): and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying (her) forth, buried (her) by her husband.” KJV. Comparing the same verse in NIV Acts 5:10 “At that moment she fell down at his feet and died (exepsuxen). Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events”.
Going back to Eden we discover an interesting tree called the Tree of Life and the condition given to man, as long as they remained faithful to God they would eat from it to perpetuate their life meaning. Man was not immortal or the living soul was not immortal. It becomes more evident when Adam and Eve disobeyed and the sentence of death was pronounced that their life was perpetuated by eating from the tree of life. Gen 3:22-24 “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life”. Therefore, men is not immortal or the soul is not immortal, again even in the new Heaven and earth man will still need to eat from the Tree of Life to live forever and the condition is still obedience to the word of God. John 3:15-16 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Rev 22:1-2” And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, (was there) the tree of life, which bare twelve (manner of) fruits, (and) yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree (were) for the healing of the nations”.
The Bible is specific on who has immortality: 1 Timothy 1:17 “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, (be) honour and glory forever and ever. Amen”. 1 Timothy 6:14-16 “That thou keep (this) commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall show, (who is) the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom (be) honour and power everlasting. Amen”. Therefore, how can man receive the gift of immortality: Romans2:5-8 “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath”, .
According to Paul judgment shall be meted when Christ comes and that’s when the righteous will be given the right to immortality and eternal life and the disobedient will also be condemned to wrath, not at the point of death that we now suffer is judgment meted as most Christians teach.
No one goes to Heaven or hell at death as the study will further reveal and there is no consciousness at death a few examples for clarity at this juncture; Ecclesiastes 9v5-6; Psalms 146:4; 1Thess 4:16 “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”: Acts 2:34 “For David is not ascended into the Heavens: . . .” There is a resurrection coming. The Bible is specific on those that have been resurrected and taken to heaven e.g Moses. The next article will address further the issue of the resurrection. Stay blessed.
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