Continuing with the New Testament and its supposed teaching on the 'immortal soul' I will now explain the next passage of Holy Scripture that the wretched web page uses to try and prove its flawed teaching: Rev 6:9-10 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls (life blood) 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? Now this passage is very interesting and if read as literal then the reader has lost the plot entirely, which, of course, is what Spiritually dead people do, especially Spiritually dead Christian religious types; in Truth they are not qualified to read and understand the Book of Revelation.
With Revelation it's all a vision that John saw, just like a hologram.
He saw images in his mind, images given him by the Lord Jesus Christ.
There was no physical substance to anything that John saw, just visual images.
The Transfiguration was exactly the same.
Moses and Elijah appeared as visual images in the disciple's minds.
Revelation is also full of symbolism as are other parts of the Holy Scriptures and one of those places, which is also relevant to this study, is Genesis: Gen 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
Here we can see that Abel's blood metaphorically cries out to the Lord from the ground and so it is with these 'souls' under the altar (more symbolism).
Now John sees images of them crying aloud just like Abel's blood.
Not forgetting too that the word 'soul' is also translated 'breathing creature' or 'life' or 'life blood' in this case.
We also need to realise that spilt blood is the crucial element here that must be avenged.
As it was with Abel's blood, so it is with the saint's blood in verse 10 above.
If I now copy verse 11 of Revelation 6 we will see how the wretched web page makes further mistakes: Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
What is this verse actually saying, because the wretched web page is saying that this verse proves that our souls live after death, but we know already from all the evidence and proof I have given in part one that this is not true, so they must be reading into this verse something that is not there.
We mustn't forget that John is still in vision mode and is not seeing real human beings only images of human beings who are receiving white robes.
Now who receives white robes? Why, those who are Born Again in this life.
Do we, as Born Again sons and daughters of God, physically, see these white robes? No, but do they exist? Yes.
As the Father looks down from heaven at us He sees us wearing white robes.
When we are Born Again of the Holy Spirit we are immediately clothed in white robes just as our names are written in the Book of Life.
Can we physically prove that these things have taken place? No.
Do we know as faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ that they have taken place? Yes, most definitely.
OK, so these human images in John's vision were given white robes that John could actually see; how's that? Easy, he was seeing things, via this vision, from the heavenly perspective; he was seeing these people just as the Father sees them from His throne in heaven.
Now notice what takes place: it was said unto them that they should now take a rest.
What does this mean? Quite simply it means they died.
You see, 'immortal souls' don't get tired, they are supposed to be spirit, and spirit never rests, nor does it need to.
The word 'rest' in Strong's Concordance states it as 'repose' which is also the word they use for describing the laying down of people in their graves, and of course this is what John is seeing in his vision, the saints falling asleep until it's time for them to be resurrected when the Lord returns.
The wretched web page then goes on to site the story of Lazarus and the rich man as another pathetic example of so called evidence for the 'immortal soul'.
Fortunately I have already written two articles on this subject entitled: "The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man - Parts 1 and 2" So I don't have to say anything here.
We then get a verse or two from 1 Peter: 1 Peter 3:18-19 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.
I am not going to spend too much time on this subject either, for there are only one group of spirits that are in prison and they are evil spirits.
They were imprisoned after they fell from their original estate as mentioned in Jude: Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
These are the spirits that the Lord preached to, not human 'immortal souls' that do not exist.
I would cry with laughing if these people were not so wretched with their foolish ideas.
Their next comment about 2 Cor 5 displays their total Spiritual blindness, for they have no grasp of what it means to be Born Again: 2 Cor 5:6-9 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him.
Ha, ha, this one is even more hilarious than the last.
OK, I'm sure I haven't got to explain to you what these silly people are trying to make out this, so I will go straight into what it does mean.
What Paul is saying here is the same thing that he said in Romans 7:14-25.
Please see my article: "Was the Apostle Paul a Schizophrenic? - Romans 7:14-25.
" Once Born Again we become two people; new Spiritual beings in old carnal bodies of sin.
If we are "at home" with the body we are being too comfortable with it and we are, by default, in our thoughts and possibly in our actions, 'absent from the Lord'.
Our attention has most likely drifted entirely on to the wrong things.
Obviously, it would be better if we were absent from the body and present with the Lord i.
e.
keeping our focus on Him.
This passage of Holy Scripture is all about how, or if, our walk with the Lord is on track or, maybe, at times, not on track, but at the same time knowing that if our inner desire is always to be present with the Lord, whether present or absent, we are still accepted of Him - this is grace in action, folks, and has nothing to do with Roman Catholic hallucinations of 'immortal souls'.
Now is my explanation here just an excuse to carry on sinning come what may? Nay, God forbid, and He will if we go too far with being too comfortable with the body for too long.
In the worst case scenarios He will allow us to end up in the pigs sty eating out their troughs, just like the Prodigal Son.
Matt 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
Now does this verse tell us that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still alive as 'immortal souls' floating around in heaven doing nothing? No.
OK, so what does it tell us? Easy, it tells us God is the God of the Spiritually alive as were the aforementioned patriarchs.
We must understand that those who are Spiritually dead are, to all intents and purposes, completely dead to God.
Yes, they are alive physically, but without the Holy Spirit residing in them they are as good as dead, for they will never experience eternal Spiritual life until they do get given the Holy Spirit and this will not take place until the second resurrection.
So are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob still dead in their graves? Yes of course and they will remain there until the Lord returns to this earth in the not too distant future.
Again we must understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is the firstfruits and He is the only human being that has been resurrected to Spiritual eternal life.
He has to come first in the order of things.
There is no way that an ordinary human being could precede Him into eternal life - no way and with that Truth I hope you can now see the blasphemy that is the idea that mere mortals were resurrected before Him.
The Holy Scriptures are clear: King David; a man after God's heart is still dead in his grave as are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and all the other prophets.
No one is floating around in a Roman Catholic cuckoo land realm of 'immortal souls.
' It doesn't exist folks, it's all Egyptian and Greek fairy tales.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Believest thou this? So, here we go with yet another attempt to try and prove that we have 'immortal souls', but is it just nonsense to assume that these verses say that? Yes, of course it's nonsense.
I will copy here the Living Bible version of these two verses for they are a more easily understood: John 11:25-26 Jesus told her, "I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again.
Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again.
26 He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish.
Do you believe this Martha?" Notice, straight away, what the Lord says; He is the one who raises THE DEAD, not raises people's 'immortal souls'.
Nor does He say He changes 'immortalised souls' into resurrected Spirit beings.
I have put this dimension in deliberately, just in case the deluded wretches think that their 'immortal soul' business is some kind of nonsensical half way house between our present physical existence and our future Spiritual existence!! Do not be surprised by the garbage that floats around in the minds of these religious weirdoes.
Notice now what the Lord says next: "Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies, like anyone else, shall live again.
" All people die and death means death i.
e.
no consciousness, just as King Solomon states in Ecclesiastes and as I quoted in part one.
We must also take into consideration that after the Lord Jesus Christ, King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived.
We therefore have to realise, based on this information, that he knew what he was talking about, unlike the men of the Christian religion!! Notice, too, that the Lord says "and shall live again" and by default this must mean death prior to living again.
The scenario of "living again" cannot be achieved unless death has occurred first.
If we are alive immediately after death or at the instant we die, then there can be no death; death does not occur.
Gen 35:18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
This verse is a classic example of how not to read moronic rubbish into God's Holy Word.
Notice, her breath (soul) was departing and then it puts in brackets for the religious wackos: for - she - died - DOH! How do these silly people read immortality into this situation when it isn't there!? All it is saying is this: her breath was failing and leaving her - she was dying - period.
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
"Note that they are presently suffering, and thus not unconscious.
" Now this is what the wretched web page is saying about this verse, but is the verse saying that? No, a thousand times no.
Sodom and Gomorrah are there in the Holy Scriptures as an example for all time.
They suffered the vengeance of fire that is eternal and the Greek word for eternal, i.
e.
aionios, which actually means 'an age' or 'a period of time' - a duration.
God's fire is 'eternal' or 'perpetual' until it has accomplished all that it is required of it - the purging of sin and rebelliousness in certain religious people, and when there is nothing further for it to burn, it will go out as all fire does.
The fire and brimstone poured out over Sodom and Gomorrah did its job and then went out, it didn't burn forever.
The occupants were killed and that was that.
God never stays angry forever, it is not part of His character and so it is with His fire, as mainstream Christians will find out in the future, if they do not repent of their futile religion - their religious dross will be burnt off in aionios fire.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
I have dealt with this verse in an article entitled: "Verily I Say Unto Thee, Today Shalt Thou Be With Me in Paradise.
" Again, Oh Really, Is That So!?" The wretched web page then goes on to mention the Transfiguration which, like Revelation, was a vision given to the disciples.
The Lord Jesus Christ was the only living soul revealed in that vision; Moses and Elijah were just holograms or images in the disciple's minds.
OK, that just about wraps it up.
Any questions, you know what to do?