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What About Soul Sleep?

          When the word sleep appears in scripture it does not always mean physical death.

For Example: Ephesians 5:14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Soul sleep cannot be supported by this verse. The entire context of Ephesians chapter 5 has to do with the believers walk and not that they are physically dead.

Romans 13:11  ¶And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Romans 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

1 Corinthians 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

In these verses Paul is telling us about the believers walk and it is difficult to see how anyone could conclude that these people sleeping are physically dead.

          In other verses sleep is referring to physical death.

For example: 1 Corinthians 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1 Thessalonians 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 is a verse to encourage the believers concerning "them that are asleep" ( physically dead). The body dies but the soul and spirit are with God and are not dead but are alive.

The apostle Paul makes it very clear that he will not cease to live, even in the death of his physical body.

Philippians 1:22  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

2 Corinthians 5:1  ¶For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

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

In times past the departed souls went into hell, in the heart of the earth. Abraham's bosom (paradise) was one of hell's two compartments. Those in paradise had memory, emotions, feeling and could talk.

Luke 16:25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

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

Those who went to paradise are now in Heaven and are not asleep where they know nothing but instead their soul and spirit are alive.

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

Ephesians 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

In the ages to come the departed souls that had the testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ will go to Heaven. They will be in Heaven waiting for the Lord to return to earth so they can be born again in natural bodies. They also have memory and can talk.

Revelation 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:
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?

Revelation 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Why would it be different for the Body of Christ when a member dies? Do we sleep without knowing anything until the rapture? Are we not a member of His Body in particular (1 Corinthians 12:27) ? Is this part of His Body asleep without knowing anything? How can we believe that to be with Christ is far better if when we die we go to sleep and won't awake until we meet Him in the air?

 

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