Bible Questions and Answers

Browse all the questions that have been asked at thisisyourbible.com and see their answers, read the most recent questions and answers, or have a look at some prepared questions and answers on key Bible themes.

Thanks very much for your question.

 

Heaven is real. It is the dwelling place of God. No human ever has or ever will go to heaven except Jesus.  See  Psalm 115:16 and John 3:13.  But even for Jesus, heaven is only a temporary dwelling place. He will return to establish his Father's kingdom on the earth.

To find Bible passages which say that upon death our souls or spirits go directly to heaven or some other realm waiting for the coming of Christ is an impossible task.  Such a notion is not taught in the Bible.  The Bible clearly teaches that death is real and that we "sleep in the dust of the earth" - see Job 7:21; Daniel 12:2.
 

Here's what the Bible says about immortality:

1.      Immortality

       a.      Nowhere in the Bible do we find the words “Immortal Soul”

       b.      Possessed only by God - 1 Timothy 6:16

       c.      revealed by Christ - 2 Timothy 1:10

       d.      Must be sought for - Romans 2:7

       e.      Granted at the resurrection as a gift – Romans 6:22; 1 Corinthians 15:53

       f.     Dust + Breath of life = a living soul - Genesis 2:17; 3:19; 5:6
               Dust - Breath of life = a dead soul - Genesis 18:27

       g.     Ezekiel 18:4; Galatians 3:22; Romans 3:23  The soul that sins shall die; All souls sin; Therefore all souls die

 

2.      Definitions

      a.      Soul: Hebrew = Nephesh; Greek = Psuche refers to any living, breathing, creature. Genesis 
               1:20,21,24,28;  2:7; Numbers 31:28; Revelation 16:3

 

       b.      Spirit: Hebrew = Ruach; Greek = Pneuma

                 i.      Energy of life or breath – Psalm 104:30; Job 34:14

                 ii.      At death, this energy returns to God and the body to dust – Ecclesiastes 12:7

                 iii.     Give up the ghost (i.e. the spirit) = to expire; to die; Greek = ekpsucho, literally to breathe out. See 
                         Acts 5:5,10; 12:23; ekpneo - Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46

 

3.      Death of Jesus
 

Where was Jesus after his death on the cross? He was in the grave until he was brought back to life at his resurrection. It was only after the resurrection that he ascended into heaven. No other person before or since has ascended into heaven. John 3:13; Acts 2:34

 

4.      Until the resurrection, the dead are dead

          a.     No thoughts - Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10; Psalm 146:3,4

          b.     No remembrance of God - Psalm 6:5; 88:5,10,12; 115:17

          c.      Dead as though they had never lived - Job 10:18,19

          d.      Mankind dies like the animals - Psalm 49:12,20; Ecclesiastes 3:19,20

          e.      Death without understanding is destruction - Isaiah 26:14,15; Ephesians 2:12; Romans 2:12; Jeremiah 
                   51:39

          f.       Death in Christ = a sleep 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; 1 Corinthians 15:6

5.     Death is real, the result of sin  Romans 5:12; 6:23

6.     Resurrection is the only hope of immortality Job 19:26; John 5:28,29; 1 Corinthians 15:16; 2 Timothy 
                                                                                             4:1,8

Here is some information you from the website's library on this topic:

 

  After Death, What? (Click the title)

 

  Heaven and Hell (Click the title)

 

I hope you have found this useful.

 

God bless and keep you,
Mike
www.thisisyourbible.com