Death is pictured as a departure into the spirit world

"It came about as her soul was departing (for she died),
that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin." (Genesis 35:18)

Extinctionists
Refuted!!!

Death is not an extinction, the Holy Spirit clearly described death as a departure from the material world into the spirit world.
Click to ViewExtinction False teachers wrongly define death as extinction, annihilation, non-existence or unconsciousness.

Click to ViewFalse teachers of Extinction: Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, Seventh-day Adventists, Herbert W. Armstrong/plain truth magazine.
Click to ViewExinctinists wrongly teach man has no conscious existence apart from the body after he dies.

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Death as "non-existence" is a member of "Domino Theology"
(Refute one element & refute the whole system!)

Bible verses where death is pictured as a departure

1.      "It came about as her soul was departing, for she died" Gen 35:18

2.      "The time of departure has come" 2 Tim 4:6

3.      "Lay aside my bodily dwelling... my departure" 2 Pet 1:13ff

4.      "Poor man died and was carried away by angels" Lk 16:19-31

5.      "To die and be with Christ much better than living in flesh" Phil 1:22

The expression "gathered to your people" proves death is a departure into the spirit world!

“It is a place where one can reunite with his ancestors, tribe or people (Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29; 37:35; 49:33; Num. 20:24,28; 31:2; Deut. 32:50; 34:5; 2 Sam. 12:23). This cannot refer to one common mass grave where everyone was buried. No such graves ever existed in recorded history. Sheol is the place where souls of all men go at death. That is why Jacob looked forward to reuniting with Joseph in Sheol. While death meant separation from the living, the Old Testament prophets clearly understood that it also meant reunion with the departed.” (Death and The Afterlife, Robert Morey, p. 78-80)

Gen 35:18

"It came about as her soul was departing, for she died"

Gen. 15:15

Abraham: "you shall go to your fathers in peace"

Gen 25:8

Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.

Gen 25:17

Ishmael breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people

Gen 35:29

Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people

Gen 49:33

Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Num 20:24

Aaron shall be gathered to his people

Num 31:2

God to Moses: afterward you will be gathered to your people

Deut 32:50

God to Moses: Then die on the mountain (Mount Nebo) where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people

Deut 34:5-6

3:27

So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day.

2 Sam 12:23

But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me

2 Chron 34:28

I will gather you (Josiah) to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace

False teachers claim that the expression "gathered to your people" refers to a common burial ground for one's relatives. Like when a person dies today and is buried in the same grave site as his parents and grandparents.

"Gathered to his people": Cannot refer to family burial ground
  • No such graves ever existed in recorded history.
  • Moses proves this false!
  • Abraham was Gathered to his people, yet he was buried with his wife alone!
  1. Moses was buried by God in the valley at Mt Nebo below the slopes of Pisgah where Moses looked over to see the promised land
  2. Moses was born of Hebrew parents
  3. Moses' wife, Zippora was the daughter of the priest of the land of Midian

Moses had no people in Moab to be "gathered to"

In Deut 34:5-6 No one knew the burial site of Moses proving it was not a known family burial site.

Moses was buried alone! But his spirit was gathered to his dead kin.

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Moses was gathered to his people in the spirit world similar to the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Lk 16.

 

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At death man becomes a "rephaim": a "ghost, "shade," or "disembodied spirit"

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  1. At death man becomes a rephaim, i.e., a "ghost " "shade," or "disembodied spirit" according to Job 26:5; Ps. 88:10; Prov. 2:18; 9:18; 21:16; Isa. 14:9; 26:14,19. Instead of describing man as passing into nonexistence. the Old Testament states that man becomes a disembodied spirit. The usage of the word rephaim irrefutably establishes this truth. Langenscheidt's Hebrew-English Dictionary to the Old Testament (p. 324) defines rephaim as referring to the "departed spirits, shades." Brown, Driver and Briggs (p. 952) define rephaim as "shades, ghosts....name of dead in Sheol." Keil and Delitzsch define rephaim as referring to "those who are bodiless in the state after death." (Death and The Afterlife, Robert Morey, p. 78-80)
  2. From the meaning of rephaim, it is clear that when the body dies, man enters a new kind of existence and experience. He now exists as a spirit creature and experiences what angels and other disincarnate spirits experience. Just as angels are disincarnate energy beings composed only of "mind" or mental energy and are capable of supradimensional activity and such things as thought and speech without the need of a physical body, even so once man dies, he too becomes a disembodied supradimensional energy being and is capable of thought and speech without the need of a body. This is why the dead are described as "spirits" and "ghosts" throughout the Scriptures. This concept is carried on into the New Testament in such places as Luke 24:37-39. A belief in "ghosts" necessarily entails a belief that man survives the death of the body. (Death and The Afterlife, Robert Morey, p. 78-80)

Job 26:5

The departed spirits [Heb: rephaim] tremble under the waters and their inhabitants.

Ps. 88:10

Wilt Thou perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits [Heb: rephaim] rise and praise Thee?

Prov. 2:18

For the adulteress' house sinks down to the departed spirits [Heb: rephaim]

Prov 9:18

The thief does not know that the departed spirits [Heb: rephaim] are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Prov 21:16

A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the departed spirits [Heb: rephaim]

Isa 26:19

the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. [Heb: rephaim]

Isa. 14:9-11

the King of Babylon: Isa 14:9-11 "Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead [Heb: rephaim], all the leaders of the earth; ... "They will all respond and say to you, 'Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us. 'Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol"

Ezek 32:21

"The strong among the mighty ones shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol, 'They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.'

Mt 17:1-5

Transfiguration had Elijah and Moses appear in spirit form

"I think I saw a ghost!" (Jesus' Disciples)

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The disciples, who had spent 3 years with Jesus, clearly believed that the spirits of dead men continued in some form of conscious existence and did not cease to exist and become extinct. On two occasions, (one before the cross, once after) Jesus' disciples thought He was a ghost!

Greek: "Phantasma" a phantasm or phantom

Mk 6:47-51; Mt 14:26

before Jesus death

"And when it was evening, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land. And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost (Gr: Phantasma), [they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost (Gr: Phantasma) Mt 14:26] and cried out; for they all saw Him and were frightened. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid."

Lk 24:36-39

after Jesus death

And while they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst. But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit (Gr: pneuma). And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit (Gr: pneuma) does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

  1. Jesus stood in disciples midst after raising from the dead and they thought they were seeing a spirit.
  2. Notice that Jesus doesn't say, "silly disciples, didn't you learn anything after me spending 3 years teaching you! Spirits of dead men don't exist, they are extinct!"
  3. Instead, he admitted the existence of the departed spirits of men but added that He could not be a departed spirit because, unlike a spirit, Jesus had flesh and bones!

Acts 23:6-9

"But perceiving that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!" And as he said this, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. And there arose a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

  1. Sadducees deny angel & spirit but Paul & Pharisees accept them
    The word "spirit" refers to departed spirits of men. It cannot refer to God as a Spirit, for they believed God is a Spirit. The fact that "angel and spirit" are both listed together, proves that spirit refers to human departed spirits not the spirits of angels etc.
  2. Important to note that Sadducees are theologically identical to Jw's, Christadelphians, SDA's and H. W. Armstrong in their view of the nature of man. Paul, through the Holy Spirit refuted them and sided with the Pharisees!

 

 

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By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.

 

 

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