Soul Sleep

1. The false doctrine of Soul Sleep is the idea that upon death, the soul “sleeps” until the resurrection of the body. This is absolutely false.
2. Man is comprised of three parts: body, soul, and spirit.

            1Th 5:23 – And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

III.   Upon death, the body goes into the ground and returns to dust, while the soul and spirit return to God in heaven.

            Ecc 3:21 – Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

            Ecc 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

            Gen 35:18 – 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.

            Php 1:21 – For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

            Php 1:23 – For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

            2Co 5:8 – We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

1. The thief on the cross was in heaven with Jesus the day he died.

            Luk 23:43 – And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

            2Co 12:2 – I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

            2Co 12:4 – How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

            Rev 2:7 – He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

            Paradise n. – Heaven, the abode of God and his angels and the final abode of the righteous.

1. Abraham’s soul is alive in heaven, not sleeping in the grave.

            Luk 16:22 – And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

            Luk 16:23 – And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

            Mat 22:32 – I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

1. Moses’ and Elijah’s souls are alive, not sleeping in the grave.

            Mat 17:2 – And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

            Mat 17:3 – And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

VII.            There are souls of martyrs in heaven now.

            Rev 6:9 – And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

            Rev 6:10 – And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?