Is There a "SPIRIT
IN MAN"?
Why did Jesus say,
'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit'?
Is Satan able to take a
dead spirit? What is a spirit? Is it alive?
Is there really a
"spirit in man"? And if so,
just what is that
essence
called "spirit," anyway? Is it
an "immortal soul"?
William
F. Dankenbring
Amazing as it may seem to many, the Bible teaches that human kind does not have an
"immortal soul," as so many religions teach. Angels are composed of spirit,
they are spirit beings (Psalm 104:4).
But man is flesh and blood, composed of the dust of the earth --
"And the LORD God formed MAN of the dust of the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life [air, with oxygen]; and man BECAME a living
soul" (Gen.2:7).
In the Psalms of David we also read
of man, "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very
day his thoughts PERISH" (Psalm 146:4).
In other words, when a man dies, he
"dies like Rover -- he dies all over." There is no thinking, no planning, no thoughts of any kind, in the grave, where a man goes at
death. All vital functions cease; life
is extinguished. Dead means just that
--- dead!
Contrary to the religious beliefs of
many people, including many mainstream "Christians," mankind does NOT
possess an "immortal soul."
This belief is pagan to the very core.
Our article on "Does the Bible Teach Reincarnation?" explains
the origin of the "immortal soul" doctrine thoroughly.
Rather than possessing an
"immortal soul," the Scriptures teach that man IS a "soul"
-- that is, a mortal "soul" -- for Ezekiel said, "The soul
that sinneth, it [the "soul" itself!] shall
die" (Ezek.18:4, 20). He said this
twice!
The "Soul" is MORTAL
The Hebrew word here is nephesh, #5315
in Strong's, and means "a breathing creature, i.e., animal or (abstract)
vitality," and is translated in a wide variety of ways -- "appetite,
beast, body, breath, creature, man, mortality," etc.
Notice how this word is used in the
Scriptures. We read: "And the uncircumcised man child whose
flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul [nephesh] shall be CUT
OFF from his people" (Gen.17:14).
Thus a "soul" can be "cut off" -- that is, KILLED!
Abraham was afraid for his life, on
another occasion, because his wife Sarah was so beautiful. He thought Pharaoh of Egypt might seize her
and kill him to get her, so he asked Sarah to pretend to merely be his
"sister." He told her,
"Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister:
that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul may live because
of thee" (Gen.12:13). Clearly,
then, "souls" can DIE!
Many Scriptures show that
"souls" can be "cut off," or killed (Exo.12:15, 19; 31:14;
Lev.19:8, 22:3, etc.). We read further
of any man who would defile the Day of Atonement by working upon it, "And
whatsoever soul that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will
I DESTROY from among his people" (Leviticus
Showing that the "soul" or
nephesh is a temporal, fleshly, entity which can die, or be killed, the
very same word is used in the Bible translated as
"creature." We read: "And God created great whales, and every living creature [nephesh] that
moveth" Gen.1:21). "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature
[nephesh] after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the
earth . . ." (v.24). After the
Flood, God said to Noah, "And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you,
and with your seed after you; and with every living creature [nephesh] that
is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast . . ."
(Gen.9:9-10).
The word nephesh is also used
of "DEAD BODIES" in the Scriptures.
Notice!
"Neither shall he go in to a
dead body [nephesh], nor defile himself for his father,
or for his mother" (Lev.21:11).
A man under a Nazarite vow was
commanded, "All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD, he
shall come at no dead body [nephesh]" (Num.6:6).
This principle that a nephesh is
not an "immortal soul," although it is sometimes translated as
"soul" in the Old Testament, is further shown in Numbers 9 where we
read: "And there were certain men
who were defiled by the dead body [nephesh] of a man, that they could
not keep the passover on that day. . . . And those men
said unto him [Aaron], We are defiled by the dead body
[nephesh] of a man . . ." (Num.9:6-7).
God then told Israel that if any man were "unclean by reason of a
dead body [nephesh]," then they could sacrifice and observe the
Passover at a specially appointed date, exactly one month after the normal
Passover (verse 10-11).
Plainly, then, "souls" are
the same things as "bodies" and can DIE!
This proves beyond any doubt that
the "soul" of man can DIE! The
word nephesh refers in the Scriptures to mere animal, sentient
LIFE! It often refers directly to
animals, and men, as well as living or dead creatures. There is nothing "immortal" about
it!
We NEED to YET Receive
"IMMORTALITY"
In other words, there is nothing
immortal about mankind, in his present existence! We are created from the dust of the earth,
and we return to the dust when we die!
Only God, at this point in time,
possesses true "immortality."
We read in Paul's first epistle to Timothy, his son in the faith, that
"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 . . ." (I
Tim.6:14-16). Of all human beings, only
Jesus Christ now has or possesses immortality!
As human beings, then, we are
distinctly "mortal,' and capable of DEATH!
And, unless at some future point in time God GIVES us
"immortality," we shall all PERISH!
That is why Paul spoke of the
resurrection of the dead! He declared,
"So is also the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in
glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
SPIRITUAL BODY. There is a natural body,
and there is a spiritual body. And so it
is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul [Greek, psuche, the
equivalent of the Hebrew nephesh]; the last Adam was made a quickening
[living] SPIRIT" (I Corinthians 15:42-45).
Paul goes on, explaining, "Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;
neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all
be CHANGED, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the DEAD
shall be raised INCORRUPTIBLE, and we shall be CHANGED. For this corruption must put on incorruption,
and this mortal MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY" (I Cor.15:50-53).
Did you get that? As human beings, we do NOT YET possess any
'IMMORTALITY"! We DO NOT have any
"immortal soul" that lives on after DEATH! When we die, it is all over -- UNLESS WE
ARE RESURRECTED, and our fleshly bodies are CHANGED into immortal spiritual
bodies!
We must "put on"
immortality at the resurrection! (I Cor.15:50-52). At that time,
our vile and corruptible human bodies will be changed into glorious
spirit bodies! As Paul also wrote: "For our conversation [citizenship] is
in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ: Who shall CHANGE our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his GLORIOUS body, according to
the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself"
(Phil.3:20-21).
This will not happen until the
second coming of Christ, at the RESURRECTION!
Therefore,
in our present state of existence, we are mere mortal beings -- like just any
flesh-and-blood creature that walks the earth.
We are composed of DUST! As the
Scripture says, when man dies, he returns to the dust; and his body decomposes
-- "for dust thou ART, and unto dust thou shalt return" (Gen.3:19).
As Solomon himself pointed out, man,
being of the earth, has no physical preeminence above a beast -- one dies just
like the other. Solomon wrote,
"For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even ONE thing
befalleth them: as the one dieth, so
dieth the other: yea, they have all one breath:
so that a man hath NO preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place [the grave]: are of the DUST, and all turn to DUST
again" (Eccl.3:19-20).
But is that all there is to the
story? Or is there more?
"The SPIRIT in Man"
Solomon continues, "Who knoweth
the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of beasts that goeth
downward to the earth?" (v.21). The
Tanakh has this passage: "For in
respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same
fate: as the one dies so dies the other,
and both have the same lifebreath; man has no superiority over beast, since
both amount to nothing. Both go to the
same place; both came from dust and both return to dust. Who knows if a man's lifebreath does rise
upward and if a beast's breath does sink down into the earth?"
Solomon speaks of "the spirit
of man." What is this?
The patriarch Job wrote, "There
is a spirit in man" (Job 32:8).
What is this "spirit"?
The word for "spirit" in
the Hebrew is ruach, number #7307 in Strong's Concordance. It is the same word used for "Holy Spirit." We read elsewhere in Job, "The
Spirit [ruach] of God hath made me" (Job 33:4). In the Psalms, David declared, "take not
thy holy spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11), and, "Whither shall I go from
thy Spirit?" (Psalm 139:7).
The word ruach is defined as
"wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent)
exhalation; fig. life, anger, unsubstantiality . . . by resemblance spirit, but
only of a rational being . . ." The
Greek New Testament equivalent of this word is the Greek word pneuma, number
#4151, which also means "a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a
breeze; by anal. or fig. a spirit,
i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by impl.) vital principle, mental disposition,
etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit,
the Holy Spirit." It is variously
translated in the King James Bible as "ghost, life, spirit, mind."
This word is the same word used in
John 4:24, where Jesus said that God Himself IS "Spirit," and
those who worship Him must do so in "spirit and in truth" (John
4:24).
Man, then, at this time, is not
"spirit," nor is he a "spirit being." Nor does he have an immortal "soul"
in him. But he does have
"breath" of life, and a spirit within him which imparts
"life," as well as "mind" power, and rationality -- the
ability to think!
What
then is this "spirit," as it is applied to mankind?
Clearly, from the words of both
Solomon and Job, we know that mankind does have a "spirit" in
him. What is that spirit? That spirit is what we might call "human
spirit" -- or that special "essence" which distinguishes mankind
from animals in general. This
"spirit" is the part of man's mind, which gives him cognitive, thinking,
creative powers -- like the very powers of God.
It is given to us by God, and is from him, and is therefore part of
God's essence, which causes us to literally be "in his image, after his
likeness" (Gen.1:26). It is what
sets us apart from beasts, and gives us the potential of becoming
literal "sons of God" and divine children of the Almighty (II
Cor.6:14-17).
What is this
"spirit"?
It is a spiritual essence which
gives man his distinctiveness, his originality and creativity, his
"God-likeness," as it were. At
death, it returns to God.
The Process of Conversion
When a man is converted, and
receives the Spirit of God as a begettal (Rom.8:9-10, Eph.1:13-14), that Spirit
unites with our human spirit, becoming one.
(It might be compared to the divine "sperm" uniting with the
human "egg" and thus forming a new spiritual being inside
us.) Thus we partake of God's divine
nature (II Pet.1:4). Paul wrote that as
Christians, then, we come "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn
[or, "first-begotten"], which are written in heaven, and
to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb.12:23).
The Spirit of God unites with the
spirit in man, thus forming a new spiritual entity. Thus we are commanded to "be renewed in
the spirit of your mind," and become literally a "new man,
which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness"
(Eph.4:24). We are to "put on the
NEW MAN, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created
him" (Col.3:10).
The "spirit in man" is
literal spirit essence. It is not,
however, an immortal soul. When we die,
it returns to God who gave it. As
Solomon wrote, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who
gave it" (Eccl.12:7).
A New Look at the "Spirit in Man"
The spirit itself has no ability to
work, plan, or create. It is spirit
essence only. It needs a body to really
function. Without a body, it merely
remains in stasis, “asleep,” waiting for the time when it will be given a
body. It is comparable to a "tape
recorder" with a “tape” whidh is “turned on” but not operating. It is like a machine in an “energy
saving” mode, functioning at bare minimum.
It records all of a person's life, attributes, character, memory, mind,
and "essence." But it must be
"activated" in order to "play." That is why Solomon could write, "For
the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything"
(Eccl.9:5). They are essentially
“asleep.” Solomon also wrote:
"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, whither thou
goest" (Eccl.9:10). All work,
activity, planning, knowledge, schemes, and actions are part and parcel of
fully activated LIFE. But when we die,
our spirit becomes deactivated and put in “rest mode” or “sleep mode.”
The spirit in man is a form of
energy, power, like the Spirit of God (compare Luke 1:35). It is a spiritual
component of man's brain, or mind-power.
It has or reflects human emotions, those emotions which again make us
"in God's image" even insofar as human emotions go. As Mary said, upon hearing that she was to be
the mother of the Messiah, "My soul [life] doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Saviour" (Luke 1:46-47).
This spirit essence is invisible,
and is therefore also eternal. As Paul
declared, "for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal" (II Cor.4:18).
When the spirit of man returns to
God, it is kept in storage, as it were, until the resurrection, when it is
given a new body, made in heaven (II Cor.5:2), and is thereby "clothed
upon," by this new spirit body, "that mortality might be swallowed up
of life. Now he that hath wrought us for
the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the
Spirit" (vs.4-5).
Paul discusses the spirit in man,
when he writes to the Corinthians, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a
mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our
glory: Which none of the princes of this
world knew . . . But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the
deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so, the things of God knoweth no man,
but the Spirit of God. Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things we speak, not in the words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual
things with spiritual.
"But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned" (I Cor.2:7-14).
God's Spirit unites with our human
spirit, or spirit essence within us, and imparts to us spiritual wisdom,
knowledge and understanding. But the
carnal, natural mind of man cannot discern or understand these spiritual truths
-- they seem like "rubbish" to him.
He is completely blinded to the real spiritual world, and the spiritual
dimension revealed to us by the Spirit of God.
The Spiritual Dimension
There has been much confusion on
this subject, because Satan the devil has attempted to deceive and delude all
mankind into believing the "immortality of the soul" lie. But only God is truly immortal, at this
point. When we are born of Him, at the
resurrection, then we too will share in His divine immortality.
As physical human beings, we are
only familiar with the four dimensions -- the first dimension is that of a flat
straight line; the second dimension of flat space (a plane), with intersecting
lines; the third dimension of height (the cube or sphere); and the fourth
dimension of time. But there is a
fifth dimension -- the world of spirit -- the spiritual
dimension! God Himself, and the angelic
kingdom He created, dwell in that unseen, invisible dimension.
But in the future, when Christ the Messiah
returns, our human spirit, which is even now united with His Holy Spirit, will
be given a new spirit body of awesome glory and radiance, power and
energy, strength and might -- for Christ our Saviour is "the brightness of
his [God the Father's] glory, and the express image of his person, and
upholding all things by the word of his power" (Heb.1:3) -- and "we
shall be LIKE HIM; for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2).
Having God's Spirit united with our
spirit, as a divine begettal, therefore, makes us the children of God, in an
embryonic state, spiritually. At this
time we have received the "beginning" of our inheritance -- the
"down payment" as it were -- the "earnest money." As Paul writes, God has called us, "That
we should be to his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the EARNEST of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory"
(Ephesians 1:12-14).
To the Corinthians Paul wrote,
"Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is
God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in
our hearts" (II Cor.1:21-22).
Further, Paul wrote, "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. For in
this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from
heaven [it will come from heaven to earth!]. . . . Now he that hath wrought
us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the EARNEST of
the Spirit" (II Cor.5:1-5).
The word "earnest" in
these verses is #728 in Strong's Concordance, arrhabon, and means
"a pledge,, i.e. a part of the purchase-money or property given in advance
as security for the rest."
My Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary says the word
"earnest," in this sense, in English, comes from the "Greek arrhabon,
from Hebrew erabhon," and means, "something of value given
by a buyer to a seller to bind a bargain; a token of what is to come."
God gives us of His Holy Spirit as a
downpayment, a "security deposit," showing us that He intends
to complete our purchase and redemption by ultimately giving us the fullness of
His Spirit, and at that time we will become Spirit!
But not yet! At this time, we have just the
"earnest" of God's Spirit within us!
As Paul wrote, "But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwellelth in
you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his. And if
Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness.
"But if the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the
dead shall also quicken [make alive] your mortal bodies BY HIS SPIRIT that
dwelleth in you" (Rom.8:9-11).
Let's understand this!
Our Incredible Potential
Paul goes on, "For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (v.14). Yes, literal SONS of Almighty GOD! Imagine that! So say the very Scriptures of truth! And what does this really mean? Paul explains, in epochal, universe-shaking
words: "The Spirit itself beareth
witness with OUR spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs OF
GOD, and JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST . . ." (Romans 8:16-17).
This is our destiny! This is our supreme high calling!
Paul wrote in the book of Hebrews,
"But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art
mindful of him? or the son of man, that
thou visitest him? Thou madest him a
little lower than the angels; thou crownest him with glory and honour, and
didst set him over the work of thy hands:
Thou hast put ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET.
For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left NOTHING that
is not put under him. But now we see
NOT YET all things put under him" (Heb.2:6-8).
Did you get that? ALL THINGS ultimately are to be RULED OVER by
redeemed man!
"All things" means,
literally, EVERYTHING GOD MADE or CREATED!
That means the ENTIRE UNIVERSE!
Forget
Star Trek, forget Star Wars, forget all the "Trekkie movies," and
science fiction films you have seen or heard of -- they are nothing but a
delusion, a fantasy, a mere whiff, a vapor, a tiny glimpse, compared to the
AWESOME, STUPENDOUS, MIND-BOGGLING GLORIOUS DESTINY God our Father has planned
out for MANKIND!
As
Paul wrote, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a
child, I thought as a child: but when I
became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know
even as also I am known" (I Cor.13:11-12).
"Into Your Hands I Commend My
Spirit"
The KEY to this whole process, which
God is working out here below, is the Spirit of God and the spirit in man.
God's Spirit unites with our spirit
to formulate and create a NEW MAN -- a new SPIRITUAL ENTITY!
Thus when Jesus Christ, Yeshua the
Messiah, died on the stake, we read in the gospel of Luke: "And when Jesus had cried with a loud
voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the
ghost" (Luke 23:46). The Greek
words for "spirit" and "ghost" here are one and the same --
pneuma, #4151 in Strong's, meaning "a current of air, i.e., breath,
breeze, i.e. vital principle," and can refer to "mental
disposition," or "an angel, demon, or God, Christ's Spirit, the Holy
Spirit," and is translated "ghost, life, spirit, spiritual,
mind." As we have already
discussed, it is the Greek
equivalent
of the Hebrew word ruach.
Thus when Christ commended His
spirit to God the Father, He was referring to the spirit in man, His spirit,
which was united with God's Holy Spirit, by which He was conceived in Mary's
womb (Matthew 1:20). He committed His
spirit to God for its safe-keeping, and security, awaiting the resurrection,
which in His case was exactly three days and three nights later
(Matt.12:40).
David likewise prayed in the Psalms,
when he was in trouble by evil men, "Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me
speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an
house of defense to save me. For thou
art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide
me. Pull me out of the net that they have
laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my
spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth"
(Psa.31:2-5).
Our spirit is our character imprint,
our essential being, recorded on "spirit" for God to preserve and
guard throughout our life, and even after we are dead and buried, till the
resurrection from the dead. It is our
essential link with the divine. Without
it, we are no better than the animals or plants of the earth -- here today,
gone tomorrow.
As Isaiah prophesied, "All
flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the
field: The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD
bloweth upon it: surely the people is
grass. The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth: but the word of our God shall
stand forever" (Isa.40:6-8).
A Human Analogy to "Spirit"
Spirit itself is alive, in the sense
of being in existence, as a spirit-recording of our character; yet it is not
"alive" in the sense of being active, working, doing, accomplishing,
or fully conscious. It will be, at
death, in a state of suspended animation, "sleep," essentially
unconscious and inactive -- like a computer that is turned off, and placed on
“sleep mode.” The spirit itself is still
alive. It still exists. Its memories are
still held within its data banks. But all this is meaningless unless or
until it is reactivated, "turned back on," re-energized, and
recombined with its own BODY!
Technically, therefore, our spirit
is never "dead" in the full meaning of the word "dead" --
destroyed, terminated, returned to dust.
Rather, it becomes like a radio or television set that is simply
"turned off." But it can be
turned back on at any time of God's choosing.
At human death, it becomes "deactivated." But it is still capable of being reunited
with a body and "reactivated" at the resurrection of the dead!
Therefore, when we die, God
"stores" our spirit in a safe place, where only He can access
it. The devil has no entry into this
place of safe-keeping. It awaits the new
body which God will supply at the resurrection of the dead.
For a more detailed explanation of
the nature of “spirit,” write for our article, “What Happens After Death?” and
the article, “Saul and the Witch of Endor.”
But what about those who don't
repent of their sins -- or who turn to wickedness? What about those who refuse God's gracious
gift and rebel against His authority, and trample on His commandments?
According to God's Word, they will
suffer what is called the "second death.' In this death, their entire history,
character, personality, and essential "being" will be utterly
destroyed -- terminated with prejudice -- annihilated in the lake called
"Gehenna fire"!
Notice!
The "second death" is
different from the "first death."
The first death is merely cessation of life and all life functions. However, the "spirit" in man
returns to God until the day of judgment!
And that will be another matter entirely.
Those who rebel against God, and
become incorrigible, will suffer the "second death" -- that is the
final cessation of life, with no hope of a future resurrection -- the final
complete extermination of life. John
wrote in Revelation, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection [at Christ's coming!]:
on such the second death hath no power" (Rev.20:6).
The incorrigibly wicked however, who
refuse to repent of their sins on a permanent basis, and who refuse to amend
their ways, will suffer the "second death" -- which is death for all
eternity, complete and irredeemable death!
As John also wrote: "But the
fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and ALL LIARS, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone [sulphur]: which is the second death" (Rev.21:8).
This death will be final. The very essence of these individuals,
recorded on their "human spirit," will be destroyed -- erased forever
-- their very "life imprint" and spiritual DNA and
character-historical development will be expunged, erased, annihilated in the
lake of fire. The spirit itself, which
is eternal, will survive, but that "person" and
"personality" recorded on it during this life will be eternally
erased, and obliterated, along with the individual's body.
To explain the difference between
the "first" and "second" deaths, notice: In the first death, the "spirit" is preserved, like a tape
recording or video put in storage. It
can be taken out of storage, recombined with a body, and live again in the
resurrection. But in the cast of the
second death, it is as if that "tape recording" or "video"
tape is not merely put into storage, for later retrieval -- rather, it is as if
that tape recording or video is totally destroyed, trashed, ground to atoms and
disassociated molecules -- it is PULVERIZED, with no hope of any future
retrieval, the destruction is so complete!
The apostle Peter describes this
age-ending destruction of the wicked. He
declares, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
BURNED UP. Seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation
[conduct] and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of
God, wherein the heavens on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat?" (II Peter 3:10-12).
This "second death" will
be total -- complete -- utter destruction.
The spirits of the wicked will be utterly purged – wiped clean! The wicked will be ERASED and will have no
life or essence of any kind whatsoever left -- no genetic "blueprint"
or "code" to use to ever "resurrect" them again! Their “spirit” essence will return to God for
Him to use as He wills. Or, to put it
another way, their spirit essence will be “recycled” and re-used as God
chooses. But of the wicked person or
personality, there will be absolutely nothing left – complete annihilation!
"Total Destruction"
This is why Jesus Christ said to His
disciples, in Luke's gospel, "And I say unto you, my friends, Be not
afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can
do. But I will forewarn you whom ye
shall fear: Fear him, which after he
hath killed hath power to cast into hell [Greek, Gehenna]; yea, I say
unto you, Fear him" (Luke 12:4-5).
Matthew's gospel account renders this, "And fear not them which
kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul [Greek, psuche, #5590
in Strong's, meaning "breath, spirit, mind, life," the animal
sentient principle]: but rather fear him
which is able to destroy both SOUL [LIFE] AND BODY in hell [Greek, Gehenna]"
(Matt.10:28).
God can not only kill the body, but
destroy the person's entire life, body and soul, meaning their entire
"essence." The word for
"destroy" in this verse is #622 in Strong's Concordance, apollumi,
and means "to destroy fully."
Satan's
Fate, Also
Satan the devil is the "god of
this world" (II Cor.2:2), the "prince of the power of the air"
(Eph.4:4). He is a spirit being,
although not divine. Eventually, in a
manner not known to man, God will literally "destroy" him -- and
destroy his essence -- and obliterate him from all existence (Mal.4:1-2;
Heb.2:14; Rev.20:10; Ezek.28:16, 18-19).
Our article, "What Is Satan's Fate?" explains this mystery
much more completely can we can do here.
Since "spirit" itself is
eternal (II Cor.4:18), how does this fact impact the truth that Satan himself
will be purged, expunged, eradicated -- annihilated?
Perhaps this is best understood by
learning from the physical world around us.
Paul said the eternal truths concerning the Godhead are made plain via
the physical creation -- "For the invisible things of him from
the creation of the world are clearly seen" -- or discerned or
understood (Rom.1:20). Therefore,
consider: With modern technology, we can
"write" or "print" or "copy" a story on a video
tape, and then store that tape for future use.
But if we decide we don't like a particular tape, or "story," we
can ERASE the story on that tape, and RE-RECORD OVER IT! Even so, in the spirit world, what is to
keep God the Father from "erasing" the very nature, hostility, and
"being" of Satan the devil from the spirit essence that has been his,
and then re-using this "spirit" substance, or "re-recording over
it" in a future creation?
Whatever God is going to do with the
spirit essence of the devil, we KNOW that He will destroy the devil himself, and
his fallen angels. For Yeshua said
plainly: "Depart from me, ye
cursed, into ever-lasting [age-lasting] fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels" (Matt.25:41).
This fire will be "so hot"
that it will leave them neither "root nor branch" (Malachi 4:1). The wicked -- including the devil, the king
of wickedness -- will be consumed into oblivion (Isa.14:12-20). Even the demons, when they saw Christ coming,
said to Him, "Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of
Nazareth? art thou come to DESTROY us?" Mark 1:24). The Greek word for "destroy" here
is #622 in Strong's, apollumi, and means, "to destroy fully, die,
perish."
God Is ALL Powerful
Satan himself was at one time an
archangel called "Lucifer" (Isa.14:12-14). But when he rebelled against God, he
forfeited his life itself, for "the wages of SIN is DEATH"
(Rom.6:23). That applies to the devil,
as well as to mankind. Even the demons
will perish in the lake of fire (Matt.25:41).
God says, according to The Moffatt translation, in Psalm 82:6-7,
"Or I say, though you are gods, all sons of the Most High, yet, like mere
men you shall die, you shall perish like a demon."
Although
for the time being Satan is the "god of this world," and exercises
power, his authority is definitely limited.
He can do nothing except what the Father allows him to do (Job 1:8-12,
2:3-6). Satan cannot take, or have any
power over, the spirits of God's people, which belong to God the Father.
As the "god of this
world," the "Destroyer" (Rev.9:11), and "angel of
death," he does have limited power over the human race, to cause
destruction and carnage, and as the "prince of the power of the air"
he does have power over tornadoes (see Job 2:18-19), hurricanes, and typhoons
-- but only within the parameters of the limits God has set for him.
Likewise, when it comes to the
spirit in man, Satan has only limited power to effect it, or influence it, but
he has no power to destroy it. Only God
has ultimate authority and power over it.
The spirits of ALL men return to God
upon their death (Eccl.12:7) -- not just the righteous men. And GOD will be the SUPREME JUDGE of all
mankind, at the resurrection. The devil
will not even be around to influence men, or their spirit, or God, or any
angel, at that time, or henceforth forever.
The Glory of Immortality
The Bible teaches that there
definitely IS a "spirit in man." That spirit is our potential link to
the "divine." When it is
united with the Spirit of God, a NEW CREATION -- a new creature -- is begotten
-- a literal child of Almighty God!
Paul wrote to the Colossians,
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with
Christ in God. When Christ, who is your
life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. . . . But now
ye also put off these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication
out of your mouth. Lie not one to
another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put
on the NEW MAN, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that
created him" (Col.3:2-10).
In this life, we are to grow in the
likeness and image of Jesus Christ. We
are to become like Him in every respect.
As Paul wrote, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth
again unto Christ be FORMED in you" (Galatians 4:19).
Paul also wrote, "And be
renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on THE NEW MAN, which after
God [that is, after God's own likeness and image] is CREATED in righteousness
and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:23-24).
Paul also wrote, again, "I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. And be not conformed to this
world, but BE YE TRANSFORMED, by the RENEWING of your MIND, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God"
(Rom.12:1-2).
We are going to be in God's own
SPIRITUAL IMAGE and likeness, at the resurrection -- just like Jesus Christ,
our elder brother! We will reign with
Him in unimaginable glory! Our entire
bodies then will be composed of SPIRIT, and we will shine like the sun forever
(Rev.1:12-18; Dan.12:3).
Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that simply incredible? Marvelous?
It is truly beyond the grasp of our
human minds and intellect and understanding.
As Paul wrote, "O the depth of
the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his
ways past finding out! For who hath
known the mind of the Lord? or who hath
been his counsellor? Or who hath first
given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are
all things: To whom be glory for
ever. Amen" (Romans 11:33-36).
This may seem utterly astonishing,
and unbelievable to many, but it is true!
By means of the "spirit in man," God is creating a stupendous,
magnificent future for all mankind. You
can be a part of it!
For a clearer understanding of this
subject, write for our articles, "Is God Reproducing Himself?",
"The Mystery of God," "God, the Logos, and the Awesome Destiny
of Man," and "The Only True God."
Praise God for His wonderful truth!