Comparing Death, Immortality of the Soul and Eternal Life
To The Teachings of Seventh-day Adventists

Death, Immortality of the Soul and Eternal Life

PART 1
Death Immortality of the Soul 

The Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah Witnesses and the Armstrong splinter groups all say that the first big lie is the teaching of the immortal soul. They claim that Christianity in general follow the lie of Satan and promised that Adam and Eve would not die.  And that the teaching of the immortal soul means that no one dies.

The question is what is "death " and what does it mean to die. The scripture says in Genesis, "in that day, that you eat of the fruit thereof you shall surely die".  What happened "in that day" that they ate of the forbidden fruit?  Were they annihilated "that day"? Did they vanish into thin air never to appear again "that day"?  NO! What did happen? They were removed from the Garden of Eden and separated from the presence from God. Isa 59:2 (NIV) ²    But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. 

The Bible speaks of death in two forms.  We are all aware of the one type of death that is the death of the body.  Some, however, are unaware of the death, which is spiritual.  That is death by separation of our fellowship with God.  This death is to be out of fellowship and out of God' s grace.  It is to be cut off from God.  In Genesis we find the first the death separation from God.  Adam and Eve were first created in fellowship with God; they lived and walked in his grace with the hope of eating from the fruit of the tree of everlasting life.  However, their sin brought forth death.  Not, only the promise of physical death in the flesh but more importantly, the spiritual separation of life giving grace from God. They were removed from the place of fellowship, Grace and Light in the garden to suffer spiritual darkness in the earth.  From that moment, that very day, they suffered the first stage of spiritual death, their soul became bent toward ruin and darkness and the flesh began to corrupt.   

Adam and Eve begin to suffer punishment, "that day".  And from that day on they suffered punishment and so has all mankind.  Nowhere, does scripture call death,  "annihilation".  

Let us look at what the Apostle Paul says describes what it means to be "dead". And what it means to be "alive". Paul writes in Eph 2:1 (NIV) ¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.

Paul and Christ describe those who are physically alive are as yet "cut off" from God's grace as being "dead" in their sins.  Does he mean, "annihilated"? Of course not, they mean they were cut off from God!  And that is how Adam and Eve "died that day!"  Christ in like manners says in Matt 8:22(NIV) ²²But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”  Does Christ mean, let the "annihilated bury the annihilated"? Of course not.  He means let those who are not in God's Grace and separated from God bury those who died outside of God's Grace. Paul writes concerning the widow that lives in pleasure of sin in 1 Tim 5:6(NIV) ⁶But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Meaning that while she lives and enjoys the pleasure of the flesh, she is dead in that she is cut off from God.  To "live" is to being in God's Grace and it means to live forever even though the body may die.  As Christ says, "they cannot kill the soul” when they kill they body in Matt 10:28 (NIV) ²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. God promises "eternal life" to those who die in God's Grace and "eternal punishment" to those who do not.  

Annihilationist have argued that "eternal life" is reduced to simple existence, even if it's an existence in punishment.  They claim, if a person exists "everlasting punishment" then he has also the scriptural meaning of  "eternal life".  Most people can see through such a childish argument. We all know that eternal life that is promised by Christ means joyous everlasting life.  The term "eternal life" is means the abundant, glorious and joyous life in Christ.  The word "zoe" in the Greek  (life) means an abundant life, not simply existence.  In John 11:25 Christ promises that He is the "resurrection and the life" and that those who believe in him "Shall never die”.  Christ understands that they will die in the flesh but though they do, they will never be separated from Him or God.  Christ "is the resurrection" because though they have died in their sins and separated from God, He is a resurrection spiritually unto them and they now live and shall never again die as to be separated from God.  Paul repeats this same thought in Rom.8:38-39 when he writes, " ³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life… shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Christ says in John 8:51 (NIV) ⁵¹I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” Yet, we know, and so did they, that the body will die, but the believer who keeps Christ sayings shall never die as to be separated from God.  

Early in scripture, in fact at the very fall of Adam and Eve, we find that a hope is established, that would defeat and overcome the death that man incurred by the sins of Adam and Eve.  The hope comes in the form of a promise.  The promise that the seed of the woman, would crush the head of the serpent the devil which tempted and caused Adam and Eve to fall, Gen.3:15.  Then they were cast out of the garden.  By believing in that promised seed, there was hope that the sin which had made them fall would be forgiven, and thus brought the hope of eternal life back to them again. Though, the flesh must suffer death, by means of the promise seed, fellowship could be restored as long as they remained in that hope and trusted in that promise.

Only God has "immortality"?

The Adventist claim: "Paul clearly states that God only has immortality, 1 Timothy 6.15, 16". They quote not even half of the verse. Let us read the whole verse, 1 Tim 6:16 (NRSV) ¹⁶It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. That is what the whole verse says.  It is not that He only is immortal! It is that He ONLY that is immortality that is dwelling in the light which no man can approach…”.   We know that angels have immortality.  But they do not have self-existing "immortality dwelling in unapproachable light".  Angels as well as all life other than God is dependent upon God for existence.  God gives angels immortality while only HE HAS self-existing immorality. Any honest Adventist or Armstrongite knows that they have immortality and are not subject to death.   So, the type of immortality that Paul is speaking of here, is self-existing immortality not just eternal existence.

Paul is declaring that God is the only one who has self-existing immortality in unapproachable light!  It is not a discussion of the immortality of the soul.  It is a discussion of Christ’s self-existence, in his Godhood of "unapproachable light"! No man has self-existing immortality.  God has to GIVE this immortality to man, when he is born.  His soul cannot be killed.  It is "immortal”.  And as such it will receive either abundant joyous life or eternal punishment according to our works in faith or lack thereof.  

Secondly, the Epistle of Hebrews Chapter 11 clearly shows that "Enoch was translated that he should not see death"  Heb.11:5 as well as Elijah and other "souls"  of the martyrs are in heaven  interceding on behalf of the suffering on earth.  Hebrews 12:23-25, Rev.6: 9. 

Didn't Solomon say the dead know nothing?

There is an interesting contrast between Proverbs by Solomon and Ecclesiastes by Solomon.  Proverbs begins with God and asks,  "How should we live?"  Ecclesiastes begins with without God and asks, "How should we live”.

Proverbs is positive, while Ecclesiastes is negative and pessimistic.  Proverbs begins with the assumption that there is a personal God who gives to all meaning to life (Prov.1: 7) In Contrast, Ecclesiastes begins with the assumption of "the man under the sun", life on earth and, autonomous, man WITHOUT GOD (Eccl. 1:16-17). 

Proverbs promises us life will be wonderful if we begin with God (1:1-7).  Ecclesiastes warns us that life is empty and without meaning, if we begin without God. (1:2). 

In Proverbs, wisdom is more important than money (3:13-18). In Ecclesiastes, money is more important than wisdom (10:19, 1:17-18).  

The text, which is seized upon by the Annihilationist to prove their doctrine of soul sleep, must be interpreted in the context of the basic theme, "Life under the sun" or "life on earth".  Solomon says in Eccl 9:5 - Eccl 9:6 (NIV) ⁵    For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶    Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. 

Again, Solomon is addressing life on earth as "under the sun" not the immortality of the soul.   So, he says, the living are aware that they will die, and they neither will have any more reward for their labors and soon people forget they even existed.  The dead at this time, prior to the resurrection does not know anything of what is going on "under the sun".  Now notice that this statement is not a statement on the immortality of the soul but the fact.  It is a statement that the dead do not know anything that is happening on the earth, prior to the resurrection of Christ.  

Does Solomon himself believe in the immortality of the soul? Let us see.  In the same chapter he writes,
Eccl 9:3 (NIV) ³This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. Solomon does not view those who have died, as "annihilated" because he says the living when they die will join the dead. That is to Sheol or the Greek word "Hades”.  Luke 16 in Christ words shows that exact thing in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. 

Does Solomon believe that spirit or soul survives death?  Yes.  In Eccl 12:7 (NIV) ⁷    and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Now notice what returns to dust, the body that is made of dust.  And what happens to the spirit or soul?  "and the spirit return unto God who gave it"!  Just as Christ at his death being fully human said, Luke 23:46 (NIV) ⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Before the resurrection of Christ, the spirits are committed into the hands of God, after the resurrection, Stephen prayed receive my spirit expecting to be with the Lord who is standing and waiting to "receive his spirit”.  . Acts 7:59 (NIV) ⁵⁹While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He remembers, the words of the Lord in Matt. 10: 28, "Fear not them that are able to kill the body but are not able to kill the soul.  Christ says this to them in the midst of warning that the persecutors will kill the body, BUT, the soul will survive the death of the body and live with God. 

Hence, we find in Rev.6: 9, the "souls of the righteous martyrs " praying for those on earth.  We find "the heavenly Jerusalem" in Heb.12:22  with the "spirits of Just men made righteous" along with myriad of angels, And Jesus Christ, himself in heaven (12:24) all together!  So then when we read in Eph.2: 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" we do not make it a symbolic or ethereal meaning but know it is real that the Souls of the righteous are with Christ in heaven.  

The Adventist quote Malachi 4:1, 3 to show that the wicked are to be burned up and become stubble under the feet of the righteous.  All of Malachi 4 is a prediction of the coming of John the Baptist and Christ's first coming.  Mal.4:1, 3, have to do with the destruction of Jerusalem not the second death in Rev. 19 & 20.  Malachi is written to the Jews not to the rest of the world.  The context is not the resurrection of the dead and the last judgment but the judgment upon the Jews.  There is no mention of the resurrection of the flesh. It is the wicked Jews who are punished in the judgment of Mal.4:1 & 3.  The wicked in verse one are those that reject Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, at his first coming.  The Christians were warned to leave Jerusalem before its destruction while the wicked remained. Josephus records how Jerusalem, which the Apostle John in Revelation calls “Sodom and Egypt” was destroyed and burned to the ground and the wicked with them.  

Verses 4-6 all point to John the Baptist who was Elijah to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord's visitation of his wrath upon the Jerusalem.  Christ confirms this in his rebuking of the Pharisees of

Matt 23:37 - Matt 23:38 (NIV) ³⁷“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. ³⁸Look, your house is left to you desolate.  

Job 14.10-12 all declare that men and women upon death cease to exist but sleep until the coming of Christ. At which time they are resurrected, some to the resurrection of life eternal and the others in the resurrection of final resolution and annihilation.  

Job is speaking of the bodily resurrection and not whether a man has an immortal soul.  The entire context of Job.14: 10-12 is the resurrection of the flesh.  Job, then asks God to HIDE HIM IS SHOEL until his wrath is past.  Sheol is not the grave. Job plainly declares himself to be in existence because he asks God to "hide him”.  If he were "annihilated” there would be NOTHING TO HIDE.  And in asking God to "hide him" he declares his soul survives the death of the body.  And then plainly says he is "waiting" , not annihilated. But waiting the resurrection and the change of his body.  If he is "annihilated" he is not waiting on anything.  He doesn't even exist.   But just as Josephus and Christ point out, the souls before the death of Christ "waited" in Sheol or Hades.   Not in "non-existence" but in joyous rest for the righteous and torment for the wicked.  The Annihilationist should learn that the Hebrew word for “Grave” in the Old Testament is “keber”, not “Sheol”.

Ezek 18:20 tells us that the soul who sins is the one who will die. Death is not said to be annihilation but suffering from the Grace of God.   To begin with, everyone Adventist and Armstrongites and all Christianity knows that everyone will die.  Ezekiel is not speaking of physical death!   The scripture declares "it is appointed unto men once to die" Heb.9: 27.  So it is not a physical death that is being spoken of by Ezekiel.  No, it is the death in judgment! An everlasting punishment, that the would strike fear in the hearts of the reader and the hearer.  As Daniel the prophet spoke of a resurrection unto "everlasting shame" or contempt.  Every criminal in jail or prison knows the meaning of everlasting shame and contempt.  They understand how every civilized person holds them in shame and contempt for the sins they committed, especially the unrepented sin.  

Ezek 18:20 (NIV) ²⁰The soul who sins is the one who will die. Death is not said to be annihilation but suffering from the Grace of God.   Ezekiel 18 begins with the Israelites complaining that they are suffering for the sins of their ancestors.  So the prophet Ezekiel then proclaims, that it is now going to be that whoever sins will suffer and no longer the sins of the ancestors causing suffering upon their descendants.  Ezekiel shows that the person who lives a life of sin "shall die" while those who turn from unrighteousness to righteous, "shall live 27Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.  Ezekiel is not speaking of the flesh but whether man who sins will suffer the loss of Grace and be punished. The person who lives righteously enjoys a share in eternal life now and forever.  The person who sins shares his part in death and suffering now and forever, if he does not repent.  We will see Christ using this language exactly as I described all over the New Testament.  

One should contemplate why sometimes criminals commit suicide before giving up.  Or they have they refuse to give up, even when they know they are going to die because they cannot win.  Sometimes it is the belief that death is merely annihilation.  The criminal believes that by dying he will escape the shame of his sin and the associated guilt.  The criminal believes he will escape punishment.  Annihilation is sweet music to the ears of the worst of criminals.  Annihilation is a gospel of hope to them, for then they neither must repent and admit their crime or fear the coming punishment promised to the unrepentant in scripture.  However, annihilation is not what scripture teaches, it teaches a sore punishment to them only compounded by the final taking of their own lives as the final act."  

The Adventist think that what this preaches is that a sinner can go ahead and have all the illicit and immoral fun, doing every evil work and because he does, he'll get eternal peace in "soul sleep" for his reward. Every unrepentant, godless, murder, rapist and evil doer being put to death at the prisons all hope in they won't be punished as the scripture says with everlasting punishment.  The all love to hear the gospel of soul sleep, and the promise of no everlasting punishment for their sins. They all hope they will pass into peace and non-existence. But, that is not what the scripture teaches. How many have the Adventist caused to become incorrigible sinners with the promise of "soul sleep" and eternal peace?  Even some of there very own, no doubt.  

The New Testament defines what kind of death it is.  It is NOT a death in annihilation but a death that results in everlasting punishment.  In Luke 16 Christ clearly defines the suffering immediately after death of the rich man who is "NOW in torment" While the righteous is "NOW comforted”.  The Annihilationist is quick to attempt to try to diminish the impact of this story by calling it a "parable”, the scripture doesn't say it is a "parable".  Even it if were, it doesn't lessen the truth taught in the story. And more importantly AN ACTUAL EVENT can still be used as a parable.  Secondly, Heb.9: 7-9, 11:19 speak of the services in the in the tabernacle as "figure" (parablee in the Greek).  Those parables were actual events.  

 Jesus Christ NEVER used myths and fables in his parables. .  Christ never uses false doctrine to teach the truth and Christ only preaches what he believes.  So, we can be quite certain that the wicked do indeed suffer punishment immediately after death as well as the righteous "comfort”.  The unmistakable lesson from Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 is that the rich man avoided the fact that both Moses and the Prophets taught the immortality of the soul and the punishment of the wicked immediately after death.  While the righteous are immediately comforted from the persecutions, trials and suffering that he suffered in the flesh on earth.  Luke 16:25-31. 

Christ used the word "hades" to describe the place of the departed souls from the body after death.  The Adventist and the Armstrong's claim that idea came from Paganism centuries after Christ.  I don't know how they read the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 and cannot see that Christ himself used Hades in the same manner as the Christian Church. This whole notion that because the Greeks believed something Christ can't believe the same thing is false. The Greeks learned it from the Jews and Christ and the Jews agree. 

Hades the place for departed souls - It's not from the pagans.

Here is another prime example of the Apostles using another common Greek term to speak of the torment of angels exactly in the same manner as the Greeks:. 2Peter 2:4 "4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;" The word "HELL" is the Greek word "Tartaroo". It is #5020 in the Strong's Concordance. "Tartaroo" is used to mean "(the deepest abyss of Hades) to incarcerate in eternal torment-cast down to hell" Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. It again demonstrates the belief and confirmed by Peter and Christ that Hades had compartments with were used to torment the sinful angels and Human souls alike. 

Thayer's Greek Lexicon says, "the name of a subterranean region, doleful and dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to the Gehenna of the Jews." pg.615. 

In this same verse of Peter, he uses the Greek word, exactly as the Greeks used it as "a place of darkness" and torment . Jude speaks of the souls of false prophets being in the blackness of darkness or "gloom of darkness"  NAB and RSV.  The souls of the wicked false prophets and the wicked spirits of fallen angels are all given to the same place of torment. 

This idea that Greeks, Jews and Christ as well as Christians did not share some of the same beliefs is entirely false. Christ uses the word Hades to mean the place of souls after death (Lk.16:19-27), Peter uses the word "Tartaroo" from the Greek to mean the place of torment of the wicked, just like the Greeks did. The Greeks learned it from the Jews, who learned it from God. 

Man is made in the image of God and because God is an immortal spirit, He made man with an immortal spirit after His image. Christ never preaches annihilation-ism but in every place as with the apostles confirms the immortality of the soul. 

PART 2
The Soul Doesn't Need To Be Resurrected, It Is Alive.

The Annihilationist are turn to 1Cornithians 15, the resurrection chapter, to teach the resurrection of the soul, but 1Cornithians does not teach the resurrection of the soul, but ONLY the body.  The Soul doesn't need to be resurrected it is alive. It only needs to be placed back into a "body" where body and soul can be as it was created.  

The context of 1Cor.15 is entirely missed by the, Armstrong's and Adventist. They think that 1Cor.15 is a chapter of the resurrection of the soul but it is not. It is speaking not of the soul because the soul is immortal. The whole chapter tells us about the resurrection of the BODY, not the soul. 

The question Paul begins with is "How are the dead raised up, with what BODY do they come?” Paul knows the soul is already ALIVE but how is THE BODY raised? So the discussion begins. 

1 Co 15:35  How are the dead raised up? And with what BODY do they come?
1 Co 15:37   thou sowest not that BODY that shall be, but bare grain.
1 Co 15:38  But God giveth it (the soul)  a BODY as it hath pleased him,
1 Co 15:38  and to every seed  HIS OWN BODY
1Cor.15:39 ALL FLESH is not the same.
1 Co 15:44  It (the flesh)  is sown a natural BODY; it is raised a spiritual BODY
1 Co 15:44  it (the flesh) is raised a spiritual BODY. There is a natural BODY,
1 Co 15:44  There is a natural BODY, and there is a spiritual BODY.

1 Cor 15:39 (NIV) ³⁹All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.  

1 Cor 15:50 (NIV) ⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 

Paul rights that "flesh and blood" cannot inherit the kingdom of God, He never says that the soul cannot because the soul or spirit of man survives the death of the body.  

In 1Cor.15 there is not the least discussion of the soul coming back to life! It is already alive! It is never annihilated. The flesh must be made alive but the SOUL is not decayed, nor was it ever "killed" as Christ said, "they cannot kill the soul " Mt.10:28a The corruptible which puts on incorruption is not the soul because it is already incorruptible as Christ said they are not able to kill the soul. The body is corruptible because Christ said, "they are able to kill the body". 

Had Paul taught that the soul was annihilated he would have then had to answer the same questions about the soul as he did about the body. For example: 1 Cor. 15:35, "What soul do they come" instead of what "body" do they come.  But, it isn't necessary.  Paul knew there were no questions concerning soul because both Jews and Gentiles all believed in the immortality of the soul. And, the Scripture, Christ and the Apostles taught it. 

1Cor.15 doesn't say anything about recreating a soul or a resurrection of the soul. The whole chapter is about the resurrection of the body.  It is the body that is corruptible not the soul.  Christ said, "(they) are not able to kill the soul" Mt.10:28a 

Christ warned his disciples in Mt.10:1-30 of the sufferings and torture that men induce to them as a result of their belief in Christ. The pages of the book of Acts are filled with the suffering of the disciples. Christ warns them not to fear them, which are able to kill the body because they ARE NOT ABLE TO KILL THE SOUL. In the most explicit manner Christ confirms the soul survives the death of the body.  

In the next sentence Christ says they should FEAR HIM (Christ) who is able to destroy both body and soul in ghenna.  The Annihilationist falsely interprets this verse to mean that the soul is annihilated.  But, that is not the meaning of the verse.  If you want to know the meaning of the verse, you turn to Revelation and find the example where the body and the soul are destroy in ghenna.  Notice Rev.14:10-11 is that description of both body and soul being destroyed, not annihilated! Rev.14:10-11 describes the souls of the wicked as being "tormented day and night for ever and ever" and  "they have NO REST".   Rev.14:"... he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,.." There is no promise of soul sleep or rest for the wicked but torment day and night forever and ever.  The scripture says exactly the opposite of the Adventist, JW and Armstrong interpretation.  They teach the wicked have “rest” while the scripture teaches, “they have NO REST, day and night for ever and ever.”  

Instead of "Fearing him who is able to destroy body and soul in ghenna, " the Annihilationist would have you to believe that you should Fear the persecutor more than Christ! Because, while God, they claim will annihilate you and give your rest, the persecutor may torment you for months and years! What Christ is saying in Mt. 10:28 is that the torment of martyrdom, which may last an hour, week, month or years, is not to be compared to torment of everlasting fire.  But Scripture teaches just the opposite of the Adventist..  That is that a far worse punishment will come upon you, if you fear the persecutors instead of Christ.  Polycarp, the martyr and Bishop of Symrna was first attempted to be burned to death but he would not burn so they stabbed him to death, in the second century said, "you torment me with a fire which shall burn for an hour and is quenched, but you are unaware of the fire which shall torment the wicked and never be quenched" ("The Martyrdom of Polycarp" The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson Editors, WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-13.htm#P911_166347 Link to Martyrdom of Polycarp)  

The Annihilationist have not understood the meaning of the word destroy correctly. It means to ruin the use for which it is designed not only to annihilate. For example, a person may have his car destroyed by a hailstorm. It doesn't mean the car is annihilated and vanished into thin air no longer existing but only means that the appearance of the car is no long pleasing. 

Destroy Not Annihilate

From Mt. 10:28 and Lk. 12:4, 5, we must conclude that those who get cast into hell (geenna) have both their soul and body destroyed there. However, the word translated destroy (apollumi), as used in Mt. 10:28, doesn't mean annihilate. Beside Rev. 20:10 as proof for this, we also can easily deduce this by examining two other verses where this same Greek word is used but rendered perish and lost respectively: 

Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish [apollumi]: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved (Mt. 9:17, KJV). 

"For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost [apollumi] and is found." And they began to be merry (Lk. 15:24, NKJV). 

Again, this Greek word can't be equated with annihilate. We know this because the wine bottles that perished would still be in existence, but ruined for the purpose for which they were intended. Moreover, the prodigal was not annihilated when he was lost, but was fully conscious in that spiritual state. 

The book of Revelation explicitly illustrates what "destroy body and soul in Ghenna" and it doesn't mean to annihilate. It means to "torment day and night for ever and ever". It means just as the scripture says, "they have NO rest" NAB says, "they have no relief”. 

What the Annihilationist would have you believe is that it is far better to fear the persecutors, than to fear God. Their teaching is that God will only annihilate and put you to sleep you while the persecutors may punish you for years and years. While Christ teaches that the persecution of beatings, dungeons, starvation, year after year is nothing to be compared to the sufferings of Ghenna. Therefore, one ought not to fear the sufferings on earth but God who will hand out eternal punishment. 

God plainly torments the wicked even in this life.  Rev.9:"4 And it was commanded (By the Angel of God) them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.  That torment is given so that they might repent, so they wouldn't end up in everlasting torment. 

 Rev.14: 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,

 Rev.20:And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

The Adventist and the Armstrong’s look away, turn a blind eye and pretend they don’t exist.  

Luke 16:24 (NIV) ²⁴So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

 Luke 16:27 - Luke 16:28 (NIV) ²⁷“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, ²⁸for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

 The teaching is this: don't be like the rich man, denied torment after the death of the wicked and only found out too late!! Then wishing to save your own children and "brethren" from the heresy, what to send someone else back from the dead to warn them because the answer will be no just as it was to the rich man. 

The scripture continues, Luke 16:29 - Luke 16:31 (NIV) ²⁹“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ³⁰“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ ³¹“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

 Do not be guilty of making the same mistake only worse than the rich man, because you neither believe Moses and the Prophets as the rich man didn't. Neither do you believe Christ and the Apostles or the 2,000 years of theologians from east to west and north to south that have warned you to repent. 

There won't be any excuses because you have the scriptures and you have been warned so often but would not repent. 

PART 3
The Greek word, "Hades" is not "the grave”. 

It is common to hear Adventist to say that the word "hades" means grave.  However, that is not true.  It is an error in the KJV of the scriptures that the some have followed.  

"HADES" : From Vines Expository Dictionary of Greek Words  Nelson Publishers , page 286: hades(86), "the region of departed spirits of the lost" (but including the blessed dead in periods preceding the ascension of Christ). It has been thought by some that the word etymologically meant "the unseen" (from a, negative, and eido, "to see"), but this derivation is questionable; a more probable derivation is from  hado, signifying "all-receiving." It corresponds to "Sheol" in the OT. In the KJV of the OT and NT; it has been unhappily rendered "hell," e.g., Ps. 16:10; or "the grave," e.g., Gen. 37:35; or "the pit," Num. 16:30, 33; in the NT the revisers have always used the rendering "hades"; in the OT, they have not been uniform in the translation, e.g. in Isa. 14:15 "hell" (marg., "Sheol"); usually they have "Sheol" in the text and "the grave" in the margin. It never denotes the grave, nor is it the permanent region of the lost; in point of time it is, for such, intermediate between decease and the doom of Gehenna. For the condition, see Luke 16:23-31.  

The Lord, in Matt. uses the word four times in the Gospels, and always. 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; it is used with reference to the soul of Christ, Acts 2:27, 31. Christ declares that He has the keys of it, Rev. 1:18; in Rev. 6:8 it is personified, with the signification of the temporary destiny of the doomed; it is to give up those who are therein, 20:13, and is to be cast into the lake of fire, v. 14.

Note: In 1 Cor. 15:55 the most authentic mss. have  thantos,"death," in the 2nd part of the verse, instead of "hades," 86 hades { hah'-dace}from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492; TDNT - 1:146,22; n pr loc AV - hell 10, grave 1; 11

GK - 87
1) name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions
2) Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead
3) later use of this word: the grave, death, hell 

In Biblical Greek it is associated with Orcus, the infernal regions, a dark and dismal place in the very depths of the earth, the common receptacle of disembodied spirits. Usually Hades is just the abode of the wicked, Lu. 16:23, Rev. 20:13,14; a very uncomfortable place. TDNT. 

86 hades "the neether world, the realm of the dead.  The infernal regions (Job x. 21), a dark (Job xi. 8), Is. Lvii. 9;  Am. ix.2, etc.  the common receptacle of disembodied spirits:  Luk xvi. 23  The New Thayer's Greek - English Lexicon, page 11.  

Quoting from the book, "The Life and Times of Jesus, the Messiah" concerning the story of Lazarus and the Rich man we read; "Thus, the carrying up of the soul of the righteous by Angels is certainly in accordance with Jewish teaching, though stripped of all legendary details, such as about the number and the greeting of the Angels.  But it is also fully in accordance with Christian thought of the ministry of Angels…" 

2.  Dives and Lazarus after death; The "great contrast" fully realized, and how to enter the Kingdom.  - Here also the main interest center in Dives.  He also has died and been buried.  Thus ends all his exaltedness before men.  The next scene is in Hades or Sheol, the place of disembodied spirits before the final judgment.  It consists of two division; the one of consolation, with all the faithful gathered unto Abraham as their father, the other of fiery torment. Thus far in accordance with the general teaching of the New Testament…” Page 280. Section 2 of the book. 

Speaking of the torment of the rich man after death, the author says, "Again it is consonant with what were the views of the Jews, that conversations could be held between dead persons, of which several legendary instances are given in the Talmud.  The torment, especially of thirst, of the wicked is repeatedly mentioned in Jewish writings.  The Righteous is seen beside delicious springs and the wicked with his tongue parched at the bring of a river, the waves of which are constantly receding from him” Page 281, Sectioned Section.   

As to regards of Hades meaning "grave, or pit" I will quote the words that mean pit and grave and you shall see that they are distinctly different words.  

The word for "Grave" in the New Testament is "mnemeion" not hades. 

GRAVE (Noun)

1.  mnemeion (3419) primarily denotes "a memorial" (akin to mnaomai, "to remember"), then, "a monument" (the significance of the word rendered "tombs," KJV, "sepulchres," in Luke 11:47), anything done to preserve the memory of things and persons; it usually denotes a tomb, and is translated either "tomb" or "sepulchre" or "grave." Apart from the Gospels, it is found only in Acts 13:29. Among the Hebrews it was generally a cavern, closed by a door or stone, often decorated. Cf. Matt. 23:29. See TOMB.

2. mnema (3418), akin to No. 1, like which it signified "a memorial" or "record of a thing or a dead person," then "a sepulchral monument," and hence "a tomb"; it is rendered "graves" in the KJV of Rev. 11:9 (RV, "a tomb"); "tomb" or "tombs," Mark 5:3, 5 (some mss. have No. 1, as in 15:46, KJV, "sepulchre") and 16:2 (KJV, "sepulchre"); Luke 8:27; Acts 2:29 and 7:16 (KJV, "sepulchre"). See TOMB.

Note: In 1 Cor. 15:55, where some texts have "Hades," KJV, "grave," the most authentic have thanatos, "death."

 The grave is the "Pit" or "phrear" (5421) or Sepulcher "paphos" (5028)  and sometimes, "pit" which is "be'er" (875) but they never use "hades" as the grave.  

As you can seed there are words for "Grave",  "pit",  "Sepulcher" and "tomb" which are all graves but "Hades" is never the grave because it refers to the place of the departed souls.

 Acts 2.29, 34; Both of these scriptures are talking about the BODILY resurrection of Christ.  And they are not discussions about the soul.  What is repeatedly mentioned is the fact that King David's "GRAVE" (a sepulchre, not Hades) IS STILL WITH US. And therefore he has not "bodily" risen as Christ has.    

In like manner the Annihilationist use John 3:13 "no man hath ascended up to heaven".   The whole verse here reads, " ¹³And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." Christ here is speaking of "ascending bodily" on his own power.  Those that have gone to heaven bodily or otherwise have not ascended by their own power but God takes them to heaven.  It is called being "assumed" into heaven. While Christ of his own power ascends to heaven. 

PART 3

The Righteous Souls in Hades Went to Heaven

 In Luke 16:19-31 Christ speaks a story, some call it a parable, and whether it is or is not, does not change the truths spoken by Christ. 

 Lazarus was living and in torment by sores and dogs licking the sores.  He is a beggar.  The rich man lived "sumptuously" both died.  Christ proclaims that they both went to "Hades" immediately after death.  In Hades there was two compartments one called the "Bosom of Abraham" verse 22, and the other a compartment for the wicked where they are "tormented in the flame" verse 24.

 This is before Christ's death and his resurrection.  Christ explicitly teaches that the Hades is the place of the souls after death, not the grave.  In the story Christ, explicitly teaches that men are conscious after death.  Lazarus is "comforted" and the rich man is "tormented” verse 25. 

 Christ never uses fable or false doctrine to teach.  He uses truths to teach truths!  The story culminates in the rejection of the rich man's request to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn the rich man's brothers STILL LIVING, lest they come to this place of torment" Verse 28!   Christ ends the story with Abraham saying, "31And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."  Ms. White made the same mistake as the rich man, she totally refused to understand "Moses and the prophets" warning of the torment of the immortal soul after death!  And true to the words of Abraham, she would not have believed "neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. "  How often have I made them aware that they had made the same mistake as the rich man!  If Lazarus himself had gone to them from the dead, they would not believe it!  It seems NOTHING will change their minds, not Moses and the prophets, not Christ's own words, the Apostles, not scripture, not 2,000 years of Biblical scholarship from one end of the world to the other.  

 Instead of believing Moses and the prophets, Christ and the Apostles, Ms. White and the Armstrong's have taught people to call the Christ that saves them from everlasting punishment, "Satan".  She proclaimed the gospel that Christ himself taught, as "Paganism" and from "Satan”.  The teaching that is of the Holy Spirit, she taught was from Satan!  In Matt.12: 24 the self-righteous Pharisees said that Christ did works by the Satan, when it was the works of the Holy Spirit that did the works.  Christ responded, in verse 24: "31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."   It was not sufficient that she blasphemed both Christ and the Holy Spirit but then she taught the host of her followers to do so as well!!  I leave her in the hands of the righteous judge who will reward every man according to his works. 

 We know from Christ's own words that the wicked souls of the departed are judged immediately after death in Hades.  And that the righteouses are also judged immediately after death.  Before Christ's death all the souls righteous and unrighteous went to hades, where the righteous received comfort and blessing and the wicked were "kept under judgment" to be judged both in body and soul at the resurrection 2Peter 2:9.  All the souls from Adam till Christ went to Hades and were kept there in their separate places.

 When Christ died his soul as well went to Hades, while his body was in the sepulchre.  In Acts 2: Peter proclaims the words of King David, from the Psalms concerning Christ, "26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hades, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. "

 Note what rests!  "His FLESH rests in hope" while his "soul is in hades".  Christ soul went to hades, he was not annihilated.  Christ promised the thief on the cross, "today, you will be with me in paradise”.  The place for the righteous in Hades was known as "paradise" or the bosom of Abraham. 

At the resurrection of Christ, Mt.27: 53 records how that even the bodies of the saints arose and "went into the holy city and appeared unto many”.   They were not soul-less bodies but body and souls of the saints that were raised with Christ!  Therefore, Paul calls Christ in 1Cor.15:23, "Christ the firstfruits" (plural).  For they were all raised in Christ.  This is the declaration of that the souls of the righteous were no longer to be restrained in Hades!  Christ had victory over the captivity of Hades! And now they were to ever be with Christ in heaven.  St. Stephen (Acts 7:59), the first martyr after the resurrection of Christ.  Therefore, new the words of Christ and did not fear them that were able to kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, looked up to heaven when he was stoned to death in the flesh and said to Christ, "Lord receive my spirit" fully expecting Christ to receive him that moment.

 Paul writes to the Ephesians in Chapter 4: "8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)  "   Paul declares that captivity (Hades which held the souls of the righteous) was NOW captive and the gifts of God were given unto men when Christ "ascended" far above all the heavens’.   Now the gift of eternal life with Christ is to be shared at death in heaven with the righteous martyrs and all the saints throughout the ages.   Therefore, we see in Heb.12:22- the spirits of righteous men made perfect" and in Rev.6:9 the souls of the martyred saints in heaven interceding to Christ for the suffering on earth!   Hebrews 12:1-3 Now presents the righteous faithful of the Old Testament in Hebrews 11 as “a great cloud of witness” over looking us who are running our race. How glorious is the reward of those who suffer with him now and who fear not them, which can "kill the body but are not able to kill the soul"!  Mt.10:28

 In Phil.1:21-25 We find Paul torn between “departing to be with the Lord” or to continue living on earth serving the brethren.  Paul says his desire is “to die is gain” but he still has a desire to serve the brethren on earth.  If death meant annihilation to the Apostle Paul, there would be nothing to gain by his death because he would neither be able to serve the brethren or “be with the Lord”.   It is obvious that these verses only makes sense when Paul views death as immediately “being with the Lord” which indeed would be gain, as it was for St. Stephen and the other martyrs. 

 2 Cor.5:8-10 Paul again says “we would rather leave the body and be home with the Lord” .  The soul is what must leave the body as it is the soul that is “at home with the Lord” where St. Stephen knew himself to go immediately after they killed his body.   Paul again teaches the same thing as Christ, that when the soul leaves the body,  “we appear before the judgment seat of Christ” so that the each one receives recompense of reward for the deeds done in the body”.   Just exactly as the teachings of Christ in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. When Paul finishes his discussion of those who will stand before God and answer for "the deeds done in the body" he then speaks thus in verse 11, " ¹¹Knowing therefore the TERROR of the Lord, we persuade men.."

Paul speaks in Rom.2:9 that those who do wickedness will receive not annihilation but “indignation, wrath, tribulation, anguish and upon everyone that does wickedness, the Jew first and the Gentile” . Paul makes no promise of annihilation, rest or soul sleep but only the indignation and wrath, which brings "tribulation" and "anguish" upon the evildoer.

 The souls of the wicked will continue to be sent to Hades where they are "kept under punishment until the day of judgment TO BE PUNISHED" 2Peter 2:9.  When at that day both body and soul will be punished together because the sinned together in the flesh.  The day will come when the righteous bodies which suffered for Christ will be raised and the righteous souls “made perfect”  (Heb.12:25)  which has been rewarded in heaven will receive the glorious immortal body according the glory which is due to them by the righteous judge.  While the wicked will have been punished in hades and will be restored to the wicked bodies that both which sinned will be punished together.  Therefore, we always remember the Lord’s words, “Fear not them which are able to kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but Fear Him which is able to destroy both body and soul in Ghenna.” Mt. 10:28

 Jude 1:7 (NIV) ⁷In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

 Adventists use this scripture to say that just as Sodom and Gomorrah were instantly consumed with fire, so those who wicked and are resurrected will be annihilated by the fire and cease to exist.  That is not the meaning of the text. In context Jude is speaking of the surety of punishment, which will come upon the wicked at the Day of Judgment.  Sodom and Gomorrah are an example of the certainty of this judgment by example.   Jude's point is that just as certain as the judgment came upon Sodom and Gomorrah, so "eternal fire" is certain to come upon the wicked. Rev 14:10 - Rev 14:11 (NIV) ¹⁰he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night,…” It is clear from the explicit words of the Apostle John, that they are not annihilated but "tormented" and that torment is "day and night" without REST.   

  Below are links to the Book of Josephus and the Polycarp.  

Web link to Wars of Jews Book II - Josephus demonstrates that the Jews, Essenes and Pharisees believed in the immortality of the soul, unceasing punishment of the wicked after death and comfort for the righteous. 

 Web Link to Wars of Josephus Book II (see paragraphs 10-14).   http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-2.htm 
http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/hades.htm

link to Josephus  "Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades" It bears witness to the teachings of Christ and Christianity in the first century http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-13.htm#P911_166347

PART 4
Christ Makes Himself An Offering For The Dead In Scripture

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