Life and death just might be one of the most misunderstood subjects today. To many life and death are a mystery and evokes dreaded feelings of fear, uncertainty, and even hopelessness. Others believe their deceased loved ones are not dead at all, but are somehow with them or in other realms only because the tradition of institutional Christianity says that death is not death, but only life in some other form. The traditions handed down by most Christian religious institutions are built on non-biblical misconceptions, adding to the confusion and hopelessness.

Does it really matter what you believe? Yes! Because what you believe about life, death, and dying will have a profound effect on how you live your life today. Before we discuss what occurs upon the death of lost unbelievers in contrast to believers who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior we need to layout some basic understanding. We need to see what makes a human alive to begin with.

Most are confused about the relationship between the body, spirit, and soul. Below we not only see how God gave life to and animated the first man, Adam. It is necessary to note exactly how the three parts of the make-up of every human being first came to be.

“And the Lord God formed man (his BODY) of the dust of the ground, and Breathed into his nostrils the BREATH (Heb. neshamah, SPIRIT) of life; and man became a living Soul.” (Genesis 2:7)

Here above the word “breath” is the Hebrew word, “neshamah,” that is also translated “spirit.” In New Testament Greek, the one word “pneuma” is translated as both “breath” and “spirit.” Thus “the spirit of man” (Zech. 12:1) was given to man by God breathing His breath or Spirit into the first man, Adam. This one “breath (spirit) of life” has passed to all men since we are all physically born of Adam’s lineage.

We can demonstrate what occurred in Genesis 2:7 by a simple equation. The union of Adam’s physical body material, WITH the addition of God’s breath or spirit, spontaneously produced the “living soul”.

The Physical BODY + (plus) SPIRIT (Breath of God) = A LIVING SOUL

We can better understand the vital need of “the spirit (breath of God) in man” (Job 32:8) by another equation. Note here how James defines “death.”

“… the Body WITHOUT the Spirit (breath of God) Is Dead…” (James 2:26a).

Here, the Physical BODY – (minus) the SPIRIT (the Breath of God) = DEATH

Obviously then, the key element for a living human being to be such a “living soul,” is “the spirit in man” (Job 32:8) that came to mankind only by the “breath (spirit) of God.” God’s breath (spirit) supplied the indispensable stimulus of “life.” The “spirit” enlivens and animates man as a tri-part being consisting of spirit, soul, and body.

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

In Hebrew, a “living soul” is a “nephesh chaiyah,” meaning, “soul of life.” What it really means can be known only by observing how the Holy Spirit Himself uses it. Here in Gen. 2:19 we see that the whole of the animated breathing creation, where “nephesh chaiyah” is used, is rendered “every living creature.”

“And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature (Hebrew, nephesh chaiyah, every living soul)), that was the name thereof. (Genesis 2:19)

Thus, all breathing creatures, “man and beast” (Eccl. 3:21), have a spirit that makes them souls living in physical bodies. Upon death, the loss of his spirit renders the body dead, and his soul departs (Gen.35:18) as if ‘asleep,’ while his body thereby “rests” in helpless unconsciousness “in the grave” (Eccl. 9:10) while awaiting his re-awakening with the resurrection, which the Bible calls “resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2).  

“Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;” (Psalm 13:3).

"You turn man back into dust And say, "Return, O children of men." For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew"  (Psalm 90:3-6)

Some will awake from their ‘sleep’ in the grave to stand in “everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2) at the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:12) resulting in their “everlasting destruction” (2Thes. 1:9), while others will awaken to “everlasting life” (Dan. 12:2).

While the soul of the dead is asleep, the Bible says it has no consciousness, and lies in the grave in silence.

“His breath (Heb. neshamah, his spirit) goeth forth, he (his body) returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts (his soul’s mind) perish.” (Psalm 146:4)

“… there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Eccl. 9:10)

As we will see in the course of this study series we will consider many of the hundreds of such verses as these seen throughout the Bible.

The last few parts of this Study Series will address the most common objections to these truths, including the matter of the parable of “the Rich man and Lazarus,’ which, as we will see, was presented by Jesus presented in mocking of the Pharisees religious traditions. Similarly, today’s Religious Tradition places the whole matter of the false notion of so-called ‘eternal torment’ of the lost upon this one parable. We are to never make doctrine from a parable; rather, we are to “search the Scriptures” … in context, asking “what saith the Scripture?” (Rom. 4:3).