Passages that speak of life departing and returning to the body
1 Kings 17:21 This is frequently used to prove that an immortal soul had left the child, and was in Heaven even though nothing is stated nor implies about either an immortal soul, nor about him being in Heaven; both are added to it.
Genesis 35:18
An immortal undying part of a person can be read into this only by applying today's meaning of the English word "soul" to the Hebrew word "nehphesh" See Acts 20:9-10. It was "life" that departed, not some inter immortal something that some believe to be in a person and it cannot die, but it departed from the person it was in and went to Heaven or Hell before and without the Judgment. Psalm 104:29-30 "You take away their spirit (ruach–sea creature and animals–see verses 24-25), they expire, and return to their dust. You send forth Your spirit (ruach–sea creature and animals) they are created." When the life (ruach) of beasts and creeping things depart (Genesis 9:5), no one believes it is an immortal soul departing for someplace without the animal or creature that it was in.
GIVING UP THE GHOST IN THE KING JAMES VERSON
“Gahvag” is used 23 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It is translated die or died 12 times, “gave up the ghost” 9 times, perished 2 times.
In 14 times of the 23 it as the person that died or perished. In the other 9 times it is a ghost that was leaving the person it had been in. The person dying was changed to a living ghost departing from a person. One Hebrew word was changed to four English words, changed from dying to departing.
Genesis 25:28: The King James Version was made when they were coming out of the Dark Age and it seems as if the translators still had many of the Dark Age beliefs that they wanted to put into the Bible; beliefs that the translators of later translations did not have.
· “Then Abraham give up the ghost” King James Version.
· “Abraham breathed his last and died” New American Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version.
· “He died at a great age” Revised English Bible.
· “Then he breathed his last, dying at a ripe old age” New American Bible, Catholic.
(10) GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE Genesis 25:8-9
See chapter three.
(11) DAVID'S SON 2 Samuel 12:23
"I shall go to him, but he will not return to me" 2 Samuel 12:23. How and where did David think he would go to where his son was? See (10) above. Many years after David's death, Peter said David has not gone to Heaven (Acts 2:29).
(12) SAMUEL OR A DEMON 1 Samuel 28:7-28
From the days of the "church fathers" it has been debated whether this was Samuel or a demon. Those who believe in an immortal "immaterial, invisible part of man" say this was Samuel to prove all are living after death. If it were Samuel, then it proves he was down in the earth, in the ground (in sheol–the grave). Whether it was Samuel, or a demon, he "came up out of the earth Saul did not believe today's theology that the dead are in Heaven; he believed they are in the grave. He asked the women to "bring up" Samuel, not "bring down" Samuel. The woman saw something "coming up out of the earth,"
If this was Samuel he was not in Heaven. Those who believe that all have an immortal soul that goes to Heaven or Hell at death have no choice but to say (1) that Samuel was not in Heaven, Hell, or Abraham’s bosom, (2) or that this was not Samuel that came up out of the earth.
If Samuel was in Heaven, could a medium bring him down out of Heaven, or could a medium bring him over the “great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and none may cross over from hence to us” (Luke 16:26)?
If Samuel was in Heaven, do you think Saul would be with him the next day?
WHAT IS A “FAMILIAR SPIRIT”?
“Familiar spirit” does not come from ruach or nehphesh. The two words comes from one Hebrew word, “ohv,” and it is used 16 times in the Old Testament and translated into two words, “familiar spirits” in all but one where “ohv” is translated, “burst like new bottles” (Job 32:29). It is never used of a person’s soul or spirit; ohv is not the spirit (ruach) that returns to God at death (Ecclesiastes 3:21); even though the translators translate both Hebrew words into “spirit” they are nothing alike; Hebrew readers would know that two completely different words are used, but the translators did not let there English reader see this.
Strong’s word 178, “A mumble, i. e. a water-skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar):--bottle, familiar spirits.”
Familiar spirits are spirits of devils (See Numbers 25:13). They are just as real as Satan. It shows us that Satan has been successful in making his lie, "You shall not die" be believed, and even today Satan is using demons to promote his lie by passing themselves off as the spirit of a dead loved one to convince some that their loved ones are now alive, and that they have an immortal soul that is alive before the resurrection. By believing his lie, “You shall not die” is the truth then you have choosing Satan over God. There are so few passages that can be use to teach we have an immortal "immaterial, invisible part of man" that some are willing to use it despite the problems it creates for them. “So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it, and did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse” (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).
This being did not come from Heaven or Hell, but “up out of the earth.” An immortal "immaterial, invisible part of man" being in the earth is not what is believe by many today, and this woman would not have been able to see the invisible spirit that the soul is believed to be by many that believe we now have an immortal soul. If it were Samuel, instead of proving he was alive, it proves he was dead and in the grave; to bring one back from the dead is a resurrection of the dead, if not, why not? If it were Samuel, it would have been as all the other temporary resurrections of the Bible. Lazarus and other temporary resurrections lived a normal human life, and died as all others do; they were not raised immortal; they were raised still in the image of Adam, not with the spiritual body in the image of Christ. If this were a resurrection of Samuel, then Samuel knew that he would be back in the grave the next day; therefore, he was not raised immortal. How can this be used to prove a person now has a something in them that is believed to be an invisible immortal soul that Saul could not see, but the woman could see? Neither a temporary resurrection of Samuel from the grave, or an evil spirit impersonating Samuel would tell us (1) nothing of life after death, (2) or that a person now has an immortal "immaterial, invisible part."
God had refused to answer Saul by any of the ways He spoke to man at that time, He did not answer by prophets, by dreams, and not by Urim and Thummim (1 Samuel 28:6). Then why would He answer by a way that He had forbidden Saul or anyone to use?
If this were Samuel, it would be a contradiction to today's theology of the saved going to Heaven at death for Samuel would be up in Heaven, and he would be in Heaven both (1) without the death of Christ, (2) and without the resurrection, not down in the grave (sheol–hades) unto the resurrection of the dead. It must first be assumed (1) that there is a part of a person that is now immortal and cannot die, (2) then assumed that a person using witchcraft can call a “soul” out of Heaven which is where those who believe that this was the soul of Samuel believed his soul would have been, for they believe that the saved go to Heaven at the moment of death, (3) then assumed that an “immaterial, invisible part of man (soul)” can be seen, but only by the person using witchcraft, not by Saul. Would not this make Satan and those who practice witchcraft have the power to actually reach into Heaven and remove a “soul” from the very presents of God?
What about "Abraham's bosom"? Those who believe all go to the good or bad side of hades believe none can come back to earth. How is it that they have Samuel coming back from the good side of hades, and telling Saul that he would be with him in Abraham’s bosom the next day? It would not only teach that the living can converse with the those in hades, but also teaches that a witch can bring someone back to earth from hades (or Heaven) even when their “immortal soul” did want to come. If Samuel could come back why was Lazarus not permitted to come back to the rich mans five brethren (Luke 16:24-31)?
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT
IMMORTAL SOULS AND/OR IMMORTAL SPIRIT?
Nothing. Together soul and spirit are used almost 1,100 times in the King James Version, but not one time is immortal even used in the same verse with either one. Immortal and immortality are in the Old Testament 0 times, in the New Testament, immortal one time, immortality five times, all by Paul. What does he say?
ONLY GOD NOW HAS IMMORTALITY: If a person is made with something in the person that is immortal from birth and whatever it is, if it is now immortal, how is it that only God has immortality? If only God has immortality at this present time, then being "created in the image of God" cannot mean a person was created with immortality. How can anyone who says, they “speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent,” say all persons now has an immortal deathless soul in them when the Bible clearly says only God now has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16).
SEEK FOR IMMORTALITY: "To those who by perseverance in doing good seek (zeeteo) for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life" (Romans 2:7). Zeeteo is used 119 times in the New Testament, and it is always something that the person that is seeking for but does not have.
Why are we to "seek for" that which we are born with? Why will we "put on immortality" if the something that is in us is the only thing that will ever be immortal and it has been immortal from birth (or before birth)? The fact that a person must "seek for...immortality," and immortality must be "put on" at the resurrection is conclusive proof that nothing that is in a person does not now have immortality. Immortality is a promise, a hope, not a present possession; we (persons, not immortal souls that are in the persons) seek for it and must put it on. If Romans 2:7 and 1 Corinthians 15:53 teaches nothing more, they teaches that no part of a person now possess immortality, not that a part of man’s nature is now mortal, and a part of man’s nature is now immortal. Could it be said in a more positively way that no man is now immortal; that immortality will not be given to anyone before the second coming of Christ?
PUT ON IMMORTALITY: "For this perishable must put on (enduno) the imperishable, and this mortal must put on (enduno) immortality. But when this perishable will have put on (enduno) the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on (enduno) immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:53-54); most every one understands that a person cannot put on something they already have on. “This mortal” is this person that is not immortal, this mortal person will “put on immortal,” not this soul that is already immortal will “put on immortal.” The argument that this is speaking of our bodies that are now mortal, that we have a soul that is now immortal will not hold up, it is what is now mortal that will be immortal by putting immortality on at the resurrection, not a soul that is now immortal putting on immortality. Psukee is the only word that is translated “soul” in the New Testament is never used with immortality or immortal.
We seek for that which we do not now have, we put on that which we do not now have on. It is said so simple that only those who do not want to see will not see it.
“And we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:52-53).
What is the part of a person that is now mortal, but will put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53)? It could not be a soul that is now immortal that will put on immortality at the resurrection, but a person that is now mortal that will put on immortality at the resurrection. "This mortal" is a person as he now is in the image of Adam, and this person will become an immortal person with a spiritual body in the image of Christ. Only the body will be different, not the person.
Corruption and mortal are both used throughout the Bible, but incorruption and immortal are used only by Paul, and are never used referring to the lost, or never to a soul or to a spirit. Immortality was brought to light by the Gospel, and will be "put on" by the saved at the judgment. It is never said the lost will ever “put on immortality,” or that they will ever have either incorruption, or immortality, or that anyone (lost or saved) now has immortality before the resurrection. There is not one verse that teaches all men, both good and bad are born with an immortal soul that is inside of them and it can never die, and God cannot kill it. An "immaterial invisible" part of a person called an "immortal soul" is not in the Bible. If this doctrine is not changing the Bible, it cannot be changed. For a person to have a soul and/or spirit, which will live forever in Heaven or Hell, that person must now have immortality. According to the teaching of some, the soul is the only part of a person that will ever be immortal, and it is now as immortal as it will ever be. This teaching makes Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15:53, "This mortal must put on immortality" not possible. With today's teaching there is no sense to what Paul said for it would make him be saying, "This immortal soul must put on immortality" and become an immortal soul at the resurrection.
The doctrine and precepts of man. An immortal soul from birth-the soul, which many teach is the only part of a person that will ever be immortal, would already be immortal before the resurrection.
Bible doctrine. A mortal person will put on immortality at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:53). Both cannot be true.