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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
The Resurrection	Ryan	Monday, May 9, 2011
Question: Hello once again. I will try to make this my last question on this forum given the response that recommended the Chew the Rag Cafe instead, but this one is an impending question. My question is certainly a result of theological ignorance, but I wonder about the nature of souls given the reality of the Resurrection Jesus Himself promised those who are written in the Book of Life. Often we speak of souls that are at risk for hell and the like. But, if indeed all the dead are waiting for the Resurrection on the Day of Judgment, does that mean that souls of people already dead are in some kind of spiritual hiatus until they are finally judged? How is it that souls (Like the story of the nun who was embarrassed to confess her mortal sin, and then her tormented spirit visited the nuns of the convent to warn them) appear to go straight to the respective spiritual realm after death? In short, I am having problems seeing consistency between the idea that someone can go straight to hell or straight to heaven after they die, and the specific words of Jesus saying His chosen are to be resurrected in the Last Day. It appears to be a contradiction to me. Is it that souls judged for hell are the only ones that descend straight to it, and those written in the Book of Life are in hiatus in anticipation of the Last Day?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r) Dear Ryan: I hope to see you over at the Chew the Rag Café. There we will have more freedom to discuss these issues. The substance of your question you are asking has lead some people to believe in "soul sleep". This is where the soul is asleep (unconscious) until the Resurrection. I believe Jehovah Witness and Seventh Day Adventists believe in this. The term "soul sleep" was popularized by John Calvin, a man who brought much heartache to Christianity with his heresies and nonsense. The idea is based on a misinterpretation of several biblical passages that refer to a person sleeping when dead (Luke 8:52; 1 Corinthians 15:6). The term, however, does not mean literal sleeping. It was an euphemism of the day to refer to death and the body, when dead, appears to be sleeping. As it is with all innovations of man perpetrated upon the Christian body, this one is not Scriptural or Apostolic. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27 that the moment we die we are judged (what is called the Particular Judgement). Is God going to judge us while we are sleeping? 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Philippians 1:23 teaches us that believers when they die will be absent from the body and present with the Lord (this is not sleeping). Luke 16:22-23 teaches us that those souls who have rejected God's grace will be in hell when they die. This judgment is immediate and not at some future time when we "awake". There are no contradictions. When we die our souls are temporarily separated from our bodies. The soul then goes, as the case may be, to a temporary heaven, perhaps through purgatory (1 Corinthians 3:15), that Jesus called Paradise (Luke 23:42; 2 Corinthians 12:4), or to a temporary hell, called Death and Hades (Revelation 1:18; 20:13-14). In neither place are people "sleeping" (Luke 16:19-31). The body, however, remains in the grave until the Resurrection at the end of time. Since the soul was created and ordered for the body at the end of time our bodies will be resurrected and reunited with our souls. We will then undergo the Final Judgement after which we will be sent to our eternal destination. Those who enter heaven shall have their body, mind, and soul glorified and perfected. Those who go to hell shall do so body, mind, and soul in a state of imperfection and deformity caused by their sin. This final heaven to which we will spend eternity, body, mind, and soul, is mentioned in Revelation 21:1. It is a New Heaven and New Earth. Those who will spend eternity in hell are thrown into their final destination in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15). I hope this explains things. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

The Resurrection

Ryan

Monday, May 9, 2011

Question:

Hello once again. I will try to make this my last question on this forum given the response that recommended the Chew the Rag Cafe instead, but this one is an impending question.

My question is certainly a result of theological ignorance, but I wonder about the nature of souls given the reality of the Resurrection Jesus Himself promised those who are written in the Book of Life. Often we speak of souls that are at risk for hell and the like. But, if indeed all the dead are waiting for the Resurrection on the Day of Judgment, does that mean that souls of people already dead are in some kind of spiritual hiatus until they are finally judged?

How is it that souls (Like the story of the nun who was embarrassed to confess her mortal sin, and then her tormented spirit visited the nuns of the convent to warn them) appear to go straight to the respective spiritual realm after death? In short, I am having problems seeing consistency between the idea that someone can go straight to hell or straight to heaven after they die, and the specific words of Jesus saying His chosen are to be resurrected in the Last Day. It appears to be a contradiction to me. Is it that souls judged for hell are the only ones that descend straight to it, and those written in the Book of Life are in hiatus in anticipation of the Last Day?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r)

Dear Ryan:

I hope to see you over at the Chew the Rag Café. There we will have more freedom to discuss these issues.

The substance of your question you are asking has lead some people to believe in "soul sleep". This is where the soul is asleep (unconscious) until the Resurrection. I believe Jehovah Witness and Seventh Day Adventists believe in this. The term "soul sleep" was popularized by John Calvin, a man who brought much heartache to Christianity with his heresies and nonsense.

The idea is based on a misinterpretation of several biblical passages that refer to a person sleeping when dead (Luke 8:52; 1 Corinthians 15:6). The term, however, does not mean literal sleeping. It was an euphemism of the day to refer to death and the body, when dead, appears to be sleeping.

As it is with all innovations of man perpetrated upon the Christian body, this one is not Scriptural or Apostolic. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27 that the moment we die we are judged (what is called the Particular Judgement). Is God going to judge us while we are sleeping?

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Philippians 1:23 teaches us that believers when they die will be absent from the body and present with the Lord (this is not sleeping). Luke 16:22-23 teaches us that those souls who have rejected God's grace will be in hell when they die. This judgment is immediate and not at some future time when we "awake".

There are no contradictions.

When we die our souls are temporarily separated from our bodies. The soul then goes, as the case may be, to a temporary heaven, perhaps through purgatory (1 Corinthians 3:15), that Jesus called Paradise (Luke 23:42; 2 Corinthians 12:4), or to a temporary hell, called Death and Hades (Revelation 1:18; 20:13-14). In neither place are people "sleeping" (Luke 16:19-31). The body, however, remains in the grave until the Resurrection at the end of time.

Since the soul was created and ordered for the body at the end of time our bodies will be resurrected and reunited with our souls. We will then undergo the Final Judgement after which we will be sent to our eternal destination. Those who enter heaven shall have their body, mind, and soul glorified and perfected. Those who go to hell shall do so body, mind, and soul in a state of imperfection and deformity caused by their sin.

This final heaven to which we will spend eternity, body, mind, and soul, is mentioned in Revelation 21:1. It is a New Heaven and New Earth. Those who will spend eternity in hell are thrown into their final destination in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

I hope this explains things.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum