The human soul is NOT eternal

The human soul

Many teachers out there teach that the human soul is inherently eternal, and consequently the souls of the wicked must also always exist which leads to the doctrine of Eternal Suffering. But is this true?

Some ask the inevitable question, “how can a God of love subject anyone to such a terrible fate? Let’s see if this idea of eternal suffering is true by looking at the very scriptures that these teachers use to support their teaching. Before we begin though, let’s think this hypothesis through.

First off, how are the wicked alive if they are cut off from the God of the living? Do they have another life power source apart from God? Or do they get to keep the breath that gave them life in the first place. If so, why does it say that the spirit goes back to God who gave it in Ecclesiastes 12:7?

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

And what happens when you forfeit your soul, does it mean you keep it?

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? … For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36)

These scriptures answer our sensible questions regarding what eternal judgement must entail.

Are these just isolated scriptures taken out of context though? Let’s read on and discover more scriptures that tell a completely different story to the Doctrine of Eternal Suffering.

First we will investigate if the human soul is eternal as many assume.

  • the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:20)
  • Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.(Matthew 10:28)

This is enough to answer anyone who believes that the human soul never dies. We have to clear witness scriptures that teach that the human soul can actually die. But there is more. In fact there is a wealth of teaching about the possible destruction and death of the human soul and the destruction of the wicked. After all, do we not already hold to the fact that eternal life is for the righteous soul ONLY.

  • for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
  • hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
  • But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off.
  • He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.
  • What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath–prepared for destruction?
  • And death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 
  • They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
  • I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
  • I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
  • For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
  • and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
  • Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
  • Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
  • They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
  • By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
  • For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Anyone who denies that the wicked will be destroyed, perish, forfeit their soul, die, or thrown into the Second Death that also destroys the present earth and heaven simply deny scripture and prophecy regarding what is taught on Eternal Judgment. In the Book of Revelation. we clearly read that Death and Hell are thrown into the Lake of Fire, and we know that the SAME fire that destroys the heavens and earth also destroys the wicked.

This teaching that says that both the righteous and wicked will have their soul exist for all eternity is clearly not aligned with scripture. But how important is the correct belief on Eternal Judgement? Well it is is one of the foundational doctrines of the true faith. See Hebrews 6:

1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. 4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. 9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case–things that accompany salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Viewing 20 posts - 621 through 640 (of 732 total)
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  • #822294
    GeneBalthrop
    Participant

    Nick….I do believe Jesus, and he said he was “dead”, does dead mean we are still alive? I alway though a man is either dead or alive, and i don’t think being dead means you are still alive, or maybe Jesus lied when he said he was dead but i don’t think so. Scripture says when a man dies his thoughts parish, so if his thoughts parish how does he think being dead.

    I know about the witch of Endor Nick, but i am not sure what part God had in all that, same with Moses and Elisha on the mount of transfiguration. All thing are possible with God, but other scriptures say when a person is dead he really is dead. I know when our bodies decompose in those graves we are no longer a “living soul” , but i also believe the spirit goes back to him who gave it. And i do believe that spirit is an “it” not a living soul, when it goes back to the Father.

    I also know As you said Jesus said God is not the God of the dead but the living, but that can be taken in several ways, like perhaps it means that God has preserved us somehow for a regeneration of spirit and flesh to be a resurected soul again. Perhaps our death is better looked as a sleep, because of God the Fathers promise of a resurection, so that all of our hope for any future life again, is in him.

    I don’t think we are transfered from one state of life to another state of life at death, as you might Nick, because if that were true why even have a resurection, that will witness the redemption of our BODIES.

    Anyway i put “all” my hopes and trust in the hands of God the Father Nick.

    Peace and love to you and yours. ………gene

    #822297
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    Jonah died and went to the pit.

    He yet lives in the Spirit of life.

     

    #822298
    GeneBalthrop
    Participant

    Nick….Yes Jonah, was carried by the great fish God had prepared to a pit but was he dead? Who knows. He did remain there for three days and three nights, no scripture says he was dead though. So it would only be an assumption to say he was actually dead, right Nick?

    Jesus was just using the analogy of his time in the grave “dead” before he would be resurected back to life, Nick ì just believe what Jesus said,he said he was “dead” and that to me really means he was “dead” not still alive as you seem to assume brother.

    Nick sceipture say every hair of our head is numbered right?, so why number them if we would not need them again, i believe our complete DNA is recorded for future use. There would be no need to record it if it was not going to be used again would there?

    Anyway we will all know someday right brother?

    Peace and love to you and yours. ……….gene

    #822299
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    Jonah was thrown overboard and swallowed by the large fish.

    Three days later he was vomited up onto land by the fish.

    So his body never left the fish for three days

    He was without oxygen for 3 days

     

    Meanwhile he says that he cried of from the depth of Sheol.

    Water encompassed him to the point of death.

    Then his life was brought up from the pit.

     

    So it seems his soul departed from his body in the fish and was rejoined to it before he was vomited up. Jesus used this as a simile to his own death and resurrection so he must want us to understand it.

     

    #822300
    GeneBalthrop
    Participant

    Nick… No scripture says Jesus’ “soul” left his body, that is a speculation brother on your part, not scripturally written. There is not a scripture that says a soul ever leaves a body, because a soul is a body with the breath of life “in” it, according to scriptures. Is it not prophesied in scripture, that God would not leave Jesus’ soul in the grave to see coruption? The spirit does not corrupt in the grave, it goes back to him who gave it, Jesus said unto the Father, “i commend my “spirit” into they hands”, but the flesh body does corrupt the grave Nick and God the Father did not let Jesus’ body see corruption, he resurected it before it did. Why?, because Jesus did no sin, therefore his body was not subject to coruption even though he did die, but not for his sins but ours, so God did not allow his body to see corruption in the grave. He was resurected after the three days and nights time in the grave past, as a complete living “soul”. Just like he was before he died.

    Nick no living soul is with out a body of some kind, that is why after we die, and our bodies do corupt in the grave, then we must be resurected with a new “body” before we can become a living “soul” again. Read the valley of dried bones, those who have seen coruption of there bodies must recieve new “bodies” again in order to become living souls again. The new bodies will be spiritually generated, from God the Father, as Adam and Jesus’ was, with that same DNA. All of our DNA is recorded, so we can be regenerated Nick. IMO

    Peace and love to you and yours. ……gene

    #822302
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    It sounds like your dogmas talking. No mention of DNA in scripture but your idea has become fact to you?

    Did Jesus,  alive in the Spirit, visit the spirits in prison while his body was in the grave?

     

    Peter said so.

    #822303
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    Acts 2.27

    “Because you will not abandon my soul to Hades

    NOR allow your holy one to undergo decay.

     

    …he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ

    that he was neither abandoned to Hades,

    NOR did  his flesh undergo decay.”

    2 separate issues – the fate of the body and of the soul.

     

    The salvation of the soul is our hope

    1 Peter 1.8

    ..obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

    #822304
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    Speaking of the old and the new bodies

    2 Cor 5.1

    For we know that if the earthly tent, which is our house, is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He Who has prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a pledge.

     

    #822314
    GeneBalthrop
    Participant

    Nick….They are not to separate things being mentioned there, it is speaking about the same thing, Jesus soul, his complete being, a body and breath of life in it. When a man dies his thoughts “parish”, i hardly think that means still living Nick. That is what those scriptures are saying to me. Why even have a resurection if it is not needed?

    Peace and love to you and. ……gene

    #822315
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    He who lives and believes in me will never die.

     

    #822316
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    You missed the question.

    Did Jesus visit the spirits in prison after his death?

    1 Peter 3.18

    For Christ who died for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; in which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is 8 persons, were brought safely through the water.

    #822317
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    2 Cor 5 speaks of the tearing down of the old earthly tent so that we can be clothed with our dwelling from heaven.

    But you say that the new dwelling is just the old earthly one? No new body?

    Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom.

    #822318
    GeneBalthrop
    Participant

    Nick…You need to read more, “though he die” (yet) shall he live. As i recall Jesus said that also, so Jesus was speaking from what you quote from the point of eternal death, or “parishing” not a temporal death. That he often compared to a sleep state, Nick when a man dies he ceases to funtion in any capacity other scriptures support that also, IMO,

    John 11:25 says this, “Jesus said unto her, I am the “resurection”, and the life: he that believes in me, “though he were dead” yet shall he live: 26…and whosoever liveth and believes in me shall never die. Belivest thou this?

    Notice the words “though he were dead” yet (shall) -future tense-, live. So there are those who believed in Jesus who (are) dead. Another point notice Pryor to Jesus saying that, he said..”ĺ am the resurection”, resurection from what if not the dead?

    Now if we consider that Jesus was speaking the words of God as he said else where, ” the words he spoke were “not his” words but the words of him that sent him”, then those words were God the Fathers words, comming out of his mouth, so THE SPIRITS of those who die on this earth, who believe, go to the LORD GOD, and are preserved for a resurection of their bodies in the future. Just as Jesus’ was, So in that sense, those who believe are not dead, even though they die, YET SHALL THEY LIVE, they do not parish by the death of the body, only their bodies do, for a period of time and then they are resurected and given a new body with the spirit added back into it. The new body is spiritually generated by God the Father, like Adam and Eve’s were, a body that could have lived forever scripture says.

    I can’t understand why you can’t believe in a actual resurected “Body” Nick? Scripture is full of places mentioning it.

    Peace and love to you and yours. ……gene

    #822320
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi Gene,

    I think it means that the believers who are alive when he returns will never die.

    They have already passed over from death to life.

     

    They will not be naked but the new body will be put over the old.

    The rest are raised in their old bodies to face the judgement.

    #822325
    GeneBalthrop
    Participant

    Nick….To me the best scriptures that clearly explains it, is John 5:24-29

    Notice what Jesus say about hearing his words (and) believes on him that sent him, (God the Father) has (present tense) everlasting life and shall not come to condemnation; but is passed (present tense) death unto life.

    Verse 25, deals with those who are spiritualy dead now, that is why he says (and “now” is) those were people of that time who were spritually dead, even as we were at one time, and will hear the voice of the son of God: and they that hear shall (future tense) live.

    Verse 28, marvel not at this: for the hour is comming, in which all that are (in the graves) shall hear his voice, 29, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation or judgement.

    Fact is we have all done good and evil in our lives, the only difference is we have already have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins and it takes away our evil, so we have a resurection of life, while those who have not excepted, a resurection of judgement, because their sins remain on them.

    Peace and love to you and yours. ……gene

    #822329
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Yes Gene,

    John 5 shows the two resurrections.

    #822341
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    It is true that only the righteous inherit eternal life. The wicked are cast into hell and hell is cast into the Lake of Fire, the second death. This is written.

    If we are born again, we will be God’s children. We know we belong to God because we will love. Those who love not do not belong to God because God is love. The Pharisees were religious in their doctrines, but they lacked the more weighty things. We need to learn from their error. Such religious men tend to accuse those who belong to God, even more than those who are not religious. These religious men engage in criticism day and night. Beware their leaven.

    #822360
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi T8,

    Indeed avoid the leaven of the pharisees.

    Let your light shine before men.

    #822374
    Miia
    Participant

    Love is being humble and seeing only ourselves as the worst sinner. Treating people equal regardless of their status, education, beliefs or lifestyle. And forgiving easily.

    #822375
    GeneBalthrop
    Participant

    Miia, well said, Jesus told us to have salt in ourselves and peace also, so we all need to be ourselves, but still maintain peace and love for one another, especially those of the house hold of God. IMO

    peace and love to you and yours. …….gene

Viewing 20 posts - 621 through 640 (of 732 total)
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