Acts 2:27

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Few people realize that everyone who has been laid to rest in the cemetery, whether good, bad, great, or small, everyone has gone to hell. Contrary to popular opinion, the biblical concept of hell is not a place of conscious torment but is gravedom, the state of death. And those who have departed this life have no consciousness of anything. They are not experiencing soul sleep. They are dead and live only in the memory of God.

A favorite portion of Scripture used by fundamentalist believers today in support of the immortal soul theory is found in 2 Corinthians 5:1-8. And the favorite often-quoted phrase taken out of context is "absent from the body, present with the Lord." The thinking in support of this interpretation is based on the belief that man possesses a soul, a separate spirit entity residing within the body. From this chapter also, they can base the argument that man's mortality is restricted to the physical body and does not include his so-called immortal soul. When the believer's mortal body is dissolved in death, then complete immortality is achieved when the immortal soul is joined in union with an immortal body that God will provide in heaven. But one lie leads to the necessity of another lie to support the first lie. So theologians invented the intermediate state teaching. Since the soul departs from the body at death, it needs to be clothed with a temporary body of some kind so it can have a conscious function. Therefore they teach that the soul that departs to be with Christ in heaven receives a temporary body to reside in until the resurrection day, which takes place at the second coming of Christ. We do not wish to intimate that those who teach such things deliberately try to deceive people. No doubt, it is taught in blind ignorance. Just think of the spiritual blindness it inflicts on millions of believers! And the Glory of Christ and The Truth of His Resurrection Power suffer the most!

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8).

For that which befalleth the sons of men be-falleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they all have one breath (spirit); so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20).

Not only do all men go to the same place when they die, but the beasts also go there. There is no way to avoid this place. No difference how good a man or a beast may be or how bad, they all go to the same place at death.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave (hell), whither thou goest (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

If any man has a desire to escape from this place where all go, he will have to get busy and make his plans now in this life, for there will be no such opportunity after death. The place where men and beasts go at death is named here. There is no doubt about it, the Hebrew word is sheol and it is translated by grave, hell, pit, and other words. But it is always the same place.

My flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption (Psalm 16:9-10).

This is speaking of Christ prophetically. He who took upon Himself the sin of the world died and went to the same place all of us, and also the beasts go at death. And He is the only one who has ever come out of that place, never to go back again. He is the firstfruits of them that slept. First fruits indicate a harvest that will follow.

As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness (Psalms 17:15).

Every believer should solemnly repeat these words. Coming out of the grave or hell in the Resurrection is an awakening from sleep. This figure is used over and over.

So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee (Job 14:12-15).

Job realizes that death is a lying down. Job hoped for a Resurrection for the new earth or paradise. He prayed to be hidden in hell or the grave till God's wrath was over. But he wanted God to set a time for his awakening and remember him. Job did not believe in the heathen concept of the soul, that it lived on and on. But the real question is whether a man will live again after death, not keep on living. Job expects a change someday, just as did Paul. And Job expects to answer when the Great Shepherd calls at The Great Resurrection morning.

How different this Bible Truth is from the superstitions of the heathen! They say that there are two places the dead go to, not one. And they say that there is consciousness in Sheol, the grave, or hell. They believe all this because they have no knowledge of salvation or resurrection.

So God says that not only do all people go to the same place when they die, but also the beast goes to the same place. Now if you would take your concordance and look up Sheol, grave, dust, and hades, you will be surprised to find them so closely related. For truth, go to the Word of God.

The heathen is much exercised as to how to keep from going to Sheol or hell. The Christian knows that he is going there but is prepared to escape from it, i.e., by Resurrection.

The heathen have the concept that man is immortal and will live on and on forever. So he has surmised that man has an endless future of either happiness or misery. But those who know God and His Word know that man is a soul and that souls die. They also know that as for the future, they either have life or they perish (John 3:16). That is, they either resurrect to life or to judgment. God has made the terms by which they can live.

The first occurrence of hell or Sheol in the Bible is Genesis 37:35. Jacob expected to go there when he died. Job prayed that he might be hidden in that place till God's wrath was passed (Job 14:13). And our Lord was there three days and three nights.

Almost 3500 years ago, Moses wrote the truth about The Hope of Resurrection. He made it plain that man lived (again) by believing God (Deuteronomy 8:3). This is still God's truth. It has not changed.

It is wise to look into this subject very carefully, for the Christian should have it clear about the difference between his hope and that of the heathen around him. And he must not believe that Plato was one of the church fathers and had the truth.

The abode of the dead in the Hebrews is known as SHEOL, translated as hell, grave, and pit. This is the common abode of both man and beast. But let us see. Here are a few passages;

Genesis 37:35. Jacob speaking. I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning.
He supposed Joseph to be dead and in hell. See Gen. 42:38.

Job 14:13. O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave (hell).
Read the context, Job 14:12-15.

Job 18:5-18. Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine...

Job 20:4-9. In this, you find that the wicked he shall perish forever like his own dung.

Job 21:17-21. Note that a candle is put out. They are as stubble. His eyes shall see his destruction. This is the fate of the wicked.

Psalm 2:9-12. This is a millennial scene. Even then, the wicked will perish.

Psalm 9:5. Thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out their name forever and ever.

Psalm 11:6. Upon the wicked shall He rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

Psalm 34:16. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

Psalm 37:10. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be.

Psalm 37:20. But the wicked shall perish.

Psalm 37:35-38. I have seen the wicked in great power...yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not...but the transgressors shall be destroyed together.

Psalm 49:12, Psa. 49:20. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 92:7, Psa. 92:9. When the wicked spring up as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish: it is that they shall be destroyed for ever... For, Lo, Thine enemies shall perish.

Psalm 112:9-10. The desire (hope) of the wicked shall perish.

Proverbs 10:24-30. But the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
Read the whole passage.

Proverbs 13:13-14. Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed...The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:12. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man...the end thereof the ways of death.

Proverbs 15:24. The way of life is above (upward) to the wise, that he may depart from hell (the grave) beneath.

Proverbs 21:16. The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

Ezekiel 18:4: 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.

Ezekiel 18:32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
And so exhorts men to change their ways. See Eze. 18:29-31 preceding.

Ezekiel 18:27. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
The judges will not execute him for his sins here and now. And also, there is the promise of a future life upon the repentance of his evil ways.

Malachi 4:1. For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
This day is still future.

Much of the foregoing is rather gloomy. But there is a brighter side, a hope for those who will listen and believe.

John 3:3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Man is singular and refers to Nicodemus personally.

John 3:7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Ye is plural and refers to Israel, of whom Nicodemus was a ruler, member of the Sanhedrin.

John 3:16. 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.

John 3:36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.

Ecclesiastes 9:5

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing,
neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Many of our readers do not have access to any libraries of great size. You might be interested in what some of the earlier writers believed. Such a study will show the beginnings and spread of apostasy and the creeping of heathen philosophies into the churches.

In "The Duration and Nature of Future Punishment" by Henry Constable (1868), we find a list of early writers and their views on this subject. The death date of each is given.

Barnabas (AD 90), Clement of Rome (AD 100), Hermas (AD 104), Ignatius (AD 107), Polycarp (AD 147), Justin (AD 164), and Theophilus of Antioch (AD 183); all held to the Scriptural view that the supreme penalty for all who did not have life was eternal death.

Then came a couple of minor writers:

Athenagoras (AD 190) and Tatian (AD 200) were steeped in the Greek philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. The Greeks got their ideas from Babylon. So these two advanced the idea of the immortality of the soul ("Thou shalt not surely die," the lie of Satan). Their writings were not taken too seriously, and they were considered more or less heretics.

Two more writers, true to the Word, came in about this place. They were Irenaeus (AD 202) and Clement Alexandrinus AD (212).

Then, the Greek influence was again felt. Tertullian (AD 235) not only came out with the theory of the immortality of the soul, but he also taught the eternal conscious torment of the lost. This idea came especially from the Greek myths, which they themselves did not believe. They were simply stories to entertain. Hippolytus (AD 240) followed with the same ideas.

This was so revolting to Origen (AD 253) that he invented the idea of universal restoration because he accepted the theory of the immortality of the soul. Something had to be done with the soul. Since man had become as God, (another lie of Satan), had immortality, and could not die, even though God not having the power to destroy him, there was a question of what to do with man.

Arnobius (AD 303) still held to the teaching of the Scriptures. He was about the last of those who had The Truth—then followed Augustine (AD 430). He fastened both false teachings, the immortality of the soul and the eternal conscious torment of the wicked, onto the church, and it has stuck till now. It is so strongly embedded that no reformation can eradicate it.

Now you can begin to see why there is so little said today about the Resurrection. An immortal soul does not need it. Why bother with a body? And not only is the deity of Christ denied, but His work as well. How few today believe that He died for sinners, for the ungodly! And even sin itself is denied. What a mess! "Thou shalt surely die."

The dream of men in the past ages was that there might be some way to obtain immortality. Some philosophers dreamed that man had an immortal soul. But they did not know God, nor His Word.

Only One has had immortality so far. That is The Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:16). He had a near competitor in the person of Achilles (A mythological Greek character). Christ is The King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God (1 Timothy 1:17).

That which is immortal cannot die. It is not subject to death. It is man's desire. Can mortal man obtain it? Do the Scriptures hold out any hope that man could ever become immortal? Yes.

But this obtaining of immortality is only on God's terms, not by any philosophies of the heathen or the creeds of the churches. It is only reasonable that one must partake in the divine nature in order to have a Resurrection and immortality. See 2 Peter 1:4.

The idea that Achilles should be mortal in his heel shows the foolishness of the heathen mind. True immortality has been brought to light only by The Gospel. It is incorruption. See 2 Timothy 1:10.

The traditions of men and their religious institutions tell us that immortality is put on at death. But that is contrary to Scripture. There we are told that the dead shall be raised incorruptible. Then is when this mortality puts on immortality, and this corruption puts on incorruption, and not sometime before. Read 1 Corinthians 15:52-54. (Although this is for a past Dispensation, Resurrection is not a Dispensational Blessing, but The Hope of every believer of all time). Members of The Dispensation of The Mystery will have this experience on The Day of Redemption (Resurrection). See Ephesians 1:14; Eph. 4:30.

But some may insist and ask if there is a chance that any might obtain this great gift without death and resurrection. Yes, it is possible, and many will have this experience on that day. We are told that when the Lord comes, those believers who are living shall never die (John 11:26).

But those who never die must have a change. They are no longer mortal. And so it is (1 Corinthians 15:52). At the last trumpet, and in the twinkling of an eye, both the dead and the living put on immortality.

No man has the seed of immortality in him till he has been begotten from above, or again (1 Peter 1:3, 1Pet. 1:23, and notes in margin of Companion Bible). That is why the Resurrection (being born again) depends on a begetting or obtaining of everlasting life (John 3:16). Those who do not believe the Son will never see life and, therefore, never have immortality (John 3:36).

At death, do some go one way and some another? All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again (Ecclesiastes 3:20).

Does knowledge cease at death? The dead know not anything (Ecclesiastes 9:5).

Is dust the only name for the condition of the dead? All go to the same place, and it is named. There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest (Ecc. 9:10).

What other names are given to the grave? In Hebrew, it is Sheol, and in Greek, it is Hades. It can be translated as either hell or grave. Sometimes, it is the pit. See Appendices 35 and 131 in the Companion Bible.

Are there other words translated as hell in the Bible? Yes, there appears the word (gehenna several times. For instance, it occurs first in Matthew 5:22 and is in connection with fire. It is nothing more than the city dump where all refuse, dead animals, and dead criminals were disposed of. The worms and the fire did their work there. Notice in Isaiah 66:24 that these are spoken of as carcasses, that is, dead bodies. They, therefore, are not conscious of the fire and the worms, superstitions notwithstanding.

Are there any exceptions of any dead not going to the grave? Not a single exception. Even our Lord went there when He died.

Have any escaped out of that place? Yes, just one instance. In Acts 2:31, Peter quotes Psalms 16:10, "His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption." This had to be done to fulfill the promise in Psalm 132:11 of Christ sitting on the throne of David. See Psa. 2:6 also.

But do not some folks go to heaven when they die? Never! Not even our Lord went to heaven when He died, not till 40 days later. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man Which is in heaven (John 3:13).

Are there other passages on this theme? There certainly are. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept (1 Corinthians 15:20). Who is the beginning (of the new creation), the Firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). The Firstborn of every creature (creation) (Colossians 1:15).

What is this new creation? It is made up of all who have life and resurrection. Christ is the beginning of this creation. These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14). Christ is the beginning of the new creation, the saints that arise from the dead.

What is death like? For the believer, it is like sleep. See 1 Corinthians 15:20.

Then, there is an escape from hell or the grave? Yes, by Resurrection only. See Matthew 16:18.

In the A.V., you will find the word immortal used once and immortality five times, all in the NT.

For further study of the terms, look up incorruption and incorruptible. Also, this will help to define what immortal and mortal mean. That which is mortal is not abiding but subject to corruption. That is simply a return to the dust from which it is made. This is the biblical use of the terms.

The risen Christ is spoken of as the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, in 1 Timothy 1:17. He was raised in a Glorified Immortal Body and is the Firstfruits of them that slept, the Firstborn from among the dead. This points to a future harvest.

Just recently, a man said that he was sure that he had immortality. Blasphemy! The appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in His times He shall shew, 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; which no man hath seen, nor can see (1 Timothy 6:16). According to this man's claim, he must be Christ!

The expression "immortal soul" is very common among the heathen and the philosophers, but there is no such expression in the Word of God. Immortal, nor any of its synonyms, ever appear in connection with such expressions as soul, spirit, etc.

In Romans 2:7, we are told that those who seek immortality (they do not have it now) will receive a reward, eternal life, in The Kingdom. Of course, this is in a past Dispensation, but it gives us a basic fact.

Immortality is first spoken of in Genesis 3:4; "Ye shall not surely die." This can be quoted out of context and used to prove that man is immortal. But it was Satan who said those words to Eve, and they are the lie. It is commonly thought that life and immortality were here brought to light by Satan and later confirmed by Plato. And we find this written into the creeds of Christendom. But God has said, Our Saviour Jesus Christ...brought life and immortality to light through The Gospel (2 Timothy 1:10). Just whom are we to believe, Satan or God?

Immortality is something to be sought after, to be hoped for (Romans 2:7). It does not become our possession till The Resurrection. In a past Dispensation, we find the words, "...the dead shall be raised incorruptible...for this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1Corintians 15:52-53).

Immortality, therefore, is conditional. It is not for all, but only for those who have life. We must remember that Resurrection is the answer to death, the only escape from the grave or hell. Its gates are not strong enough for that, for when the Lord calls, all those that are His will come forth.

Since resurrection is the key to immortality and incorruption, it should be sought with all diligence. It is a birth that follows a begetting.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. Note that perish is in the present tense, and so it could read, are perishing. This immediately presents a problem. Orthodoxy teaches that there is no perishing in this life but in a life to come. So here is a contradiction.

John 3:16 also uses the present tense and tells us that those who believe have everlasting life here and now, and those who do not have this life are perishing. This is again set forth in 1 John 5:12. Those who have the Son have life here and now, and those who do not have the Son do not have life. If they do not have life, are they then in the category of the perishing?

Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 carefully. An un-risen Christ is the same as no Christ at all. This we can believe. If Christ has not risen, faith is vain (empty). We would yet be in our sins. But the argument in Romans 4:25 is that Christ was raised because of our being justified, that is, sins taken away. He was delivered to death for our offenses. But if He is not raised, then these offenses are not removed; we are yet in our sins.

John 8:51 "If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death." The meaning of this verse has been lost somewhat in the translation. In the Interlinear (Stephens Text), it reads, "If anyone My word keep, death in no wise shall he see forever."

But this is still hazy. If we were to paraphrase it in modern English or make a version of it, it would read, "If anyone keeps My word, he shall not stay dead forever." See note on this verse in Companion Bible, page 1539.

This is equivalent to saying that the believer shall not perish. The word perish is defined for us in 1 Corinthians 15:18.

So we see that John 8:51 and John 3:16 have a great deal in common, that they mean the same thing in the long run. In John 3:16, the believer shall not perish but shall have everlasting life (which makes possible The Resurrection that follows it).

We have four expressions in John 6 that express the same sentiment and tell what comes from everlasting life:

1. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day (John 6:39).

2. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40).

3. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).

4. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:54).

In Ephesians 1:19, it is plainly stated that Resurrection power is to us-ward who believe. We can be assured that this great power that raised our Lord from the dead and which works in the believer now will one day raise us up to life everlasting.

1 Corinthians 15:40

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial:
but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth. (Matthew 6:10). This is the tribulation prayer.

Blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). Has to do with the church.

Believer, where will you spend the ages to come, on earth or in heaven? Have you ever faced this question? Have you made your calling and election sure? We are not asking these questions of those who have no hope. 

Where will Abraham spend the ages to come? He was promised land and a seed in that land. Our Lord made note of the fact that many would come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in The Kingdom - on Earth.

Abraham also looked for a city that has foundations (not built on sand) and whose maker and builder is God. But this New Jerusalem will be on the earth. John foresaw it coming down from heaven to earth (Rev. 21:2-4).

At Pentecost, Peter preached of One whom Israel pierced and whom the heavens must retain till the times of restoration of all things (to Israel). Not one of those who believed at Pentecost ever entertained The Hope of going to Heaven. What about the poor, misled folks today who have been told that The Church began at Pentecost?

Pentecost was repeated in the house of Cornelius the Centurion, a Roman Gentile. All the signs and gifts had to do with an earthly program, The Kingdom. They were looking for the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who, from the throne of His father, David, will rule over the nations of the earth.

In Acts 13:32, Paul is still preaching concerning the promise made unto the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and those who believed this message will have their place on the earth in The Kingdom. Paul turned to the Gentile believers in the synagogue and told them that they could partake of all these blessings of Israel without circumcision and keeping of the law which the Jews were obliged to keep. This was The Gospel of The Grace of God.

It is a cruel hoax for anyone to tell folks today that The Church began at Pentecost. It is just as cruel to tell them that it began at the time of Acts Chapter 13. Both these teachings are designed to keep the believer from the membership, the adoption, in The Church of The Dispensation of The Mystery, a secret hid in God from ages and generations.

There is an invisible Church today which has Heaven as its home. Its Head is at the right hand of God, there awaiting His Manifestation in The Heavens. Then a few years later He will be manifested on the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.

His Church has been persecuted from the very beginning at Acts 28:28. Even before the death of Paul, all Asia had turned away from it and back to Judaism. See 2 Tim. 1:15. This church was hunted down and persecuted by the Byzantine church. It fled to the mountains of Europe. Rome had almost destroyed it by the time of the Reformation. Today it is again gaining ground, but is hated as much as ever, or more, by many in Christendom today.

2 Corinthians 5:4

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened:
not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon,
that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

In John 14:3, when is it that they will be with the Lord; when they die, or when He will come again?

When does He receive them unto Himself; when they die, or when He comes again?

Where does this receiving take place; here on earth where He comes, or somewhere in Heaven?

In 1 Corinthians 15:23, when is it that those in Christ are made alive; when they die, or at His coming?

If people go to be with the Lord at death, then why do they have to be resurrected and caught up to meet Him? (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

If they had been present with the Lord during death, would it not be more fitting if The Word had said that they come with Him rather than to meet Him?

When is it that they are ever to be with the Lord, after death or after Resurrection?

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