The Human Soul Is Not Immortal
Peoples, including many professing Christians, will be surprised to learn the human soul is not immortal. Do you know the words “immortal” and “soul” appear together nowhere in the Bible? Traditional beliefs among many are based on an underlying teaching that everyone has an immortal soul that must go somewhere when physical life ends. In other words, in general, all religions believe in some kind of immortal essence, a spirit that lives on separately after the physical body dies. Many peoples around the world call this the immortal soul. What does the Bible really say about the existence of an immortal soul? Does this belief have a foundation in Holy Scripture? You have to understand this now, as failure to comprehend this subject is a fundamental reason for the prevalent false beliefs regarding death and eternal life. Today, we are going to share with you the biblical truth about the immortal soul. As always, we ask the power of the Holy Spirit of Yahweh to help and guide us in teaching you this very vital topic.
Theologians frankly admit that the expression “immortal soul” is not in the Bible but confidently state that Scripture assumes the immortality of every soul. Considering how confidently theologians hold to this doctrine, it’s quite surprising that such an important assumption is not spelled out in the Bible. If it isn’t found in the Bible, where then this false doctrine originate? And if such an idea was not taught in the Church or Assembly during the time of the ancient biblical apostles, how did it come to assume such an important place in a supposedly “Christian” doctrine? You may be surprised to learn this erroneous idea came from ancient Greece and was taught by one of its famous philosophers, Plato. The author of the book The Fire That Consumes Edward Fudge states, according to Plato’s thinking: “the soul was self-moving and indivisible and it existed before the body which it inhabited, and which it would survive.” Also, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia explains: “We are influenced always more or less by the Greek Platonic idea that the body dies, yet the soul is immortal. Such an idea is utterly contrary to the Israelite consciousness and is nowhere found in the Old Testament.” The first century Church did not hold to this belief either. Again, Fudge states: “The doctrine is increasingly regarded as a post-apostolic innovation, that’s not only unnecessary but positively harmful to a proper biblical interpretation and understanding.”
Furthermore, another Greek philosopher, Socrates, taught that the body and the “immortal soul” separate at death. Secular history reveals that the concept of the immortality of the soul is an ancient belief embraced by many pagan religions. But it’s not a biblical teaching and is not found in either the Old or New Testaments! Upon knowing biblical truth, should we then accept a man-made teaching that is not found in the Bible? Many people take it for granted that their beliefs must be based on the life and teachings of Yahshua the Messiah and Yahweh’s Word, the Bible. The Savior of mankind Yahshua said in a prayer to His Father Yahweh, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Does Almighty Yahweh give peoples the liberty to draw from the world’s philosophers and incorporate their beliefs into biblical teaching as though they were fact? No! In fact, Yahweh inspired the apostle Peter to write, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of Yahweh spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). We must look to the words of Yahshua the Messiah, the Bible prophets and the apostles if we are to understand the truth about the doctrine of the immortality of the soul or any other religious teachings.
Let us dig further to see exactly more Bible teachings proving the human soul is not immortal. The Old Testament plainly teaches that the soul dies. Yahweh told Adam and Eve (two living souls), that they would “surely die” if they disobeyed Him (Genesis 2:17). Yahweh also told Adam that He had taken him from the dust of the earth and he would return to dust (Genesis 3:19). Among the plainer statements in the Bible about what happens to the soul at death is this verse: “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). And also this passage: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:20). Both this Bible passages clearly state that “the soul who sins shall die.” The word for “soul” here is nephesh. In fact, this same word was even used of corpses—dead bodies (Leviticus 22:4; Numbers 5:2; 6:11; 9:6-10). Not only do all these Bible verses show that the soul indeed can and does die, but the soul is identified as a physical being—not a separate spirit entity with existence independent of its physical host. The Bible also tells us the dead have no consciousness: “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). This means dead peoples are not conscious in some other state or place! The immortal-soul teaching is false, not biblical!
Moreover, the New Testament contains several statements confirming that the wicked who refuse to repent will die permanently. The coming Savior of mankind Yahshua states that the end of those who who do not choose life is destruction. He also made it clear that utter destruction includes both “soul and body” (Matthew 10:28). The apostle Paul also stated that the wicked will die. He talks about those who were slaves of sin and says that for them “the end of those things is death” (Romans 6:20-21). So those who are slaves of sin, who habitually commit sin, can perish completely! Yet many religious leaders and Bible teachers attempt to redefine death here and in other scriptural passages to mean merely separation from Yahweh. Notice! One of the best-known verses of the Bible plainly states: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yahweh is eternal life in Yahshua Messiah our Master” (Romans 6:23). Again, people will argue that death here means an eternal life of separation from Yahweh. Note, however, that death here is directly contrasted with eternal life. How, then, can death involve eternal existence through an immortal soul? This verse plainly tells us two crucial truths. First, the punishment of the wicked is death, utter cessation of life, not a life of eternal suffering in another place. Second, we do not already have eternal life through a supposed immortal soul. Remember eternal life is something Yahweh must give us through our coming Savior, Yahshua the Messiah! Yahweh alone has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). Therefore, only those who truly repent and also obey Yahweh’s Law will receive eternal life!
In closing, does any human being have an immortal soul? No! The Bible declares plainly that physical human being is temporary, of the dust of the earth. There is no immortal quality about human beings at all—unless and until they receive it from Yahweh through a resurrection, which means being brought back to life in a body, raised from the dead as Yahshua was. The Bible also clearly states that man (peoples) puts on immortality at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:50-54), not at the end of their physical life. Nor does any man or woman have some spiritual soul with conscious awareness independent of the physical body. This has been proven time and time again when persons have gone into comas for weeks, months and sometimes years at a time, only to emerge from that comatose state with no memory or recollection of the passage of time. If one had a soul that existed independently of the human body, wouldn’t that soul have some memory of remaining aware during the months or years the body was unconscious? This fact likewise supports what the Bible teaches—that consciousness ceases at death. Only through a resurrection to life will consciousness return! Have you ever thought about the satanic aspect of believing in the human soul as being immortal after death? The immortal soul doctrine is so evil that it would make the people believe that they can do whatever wicked things they want because they have an immortal soul after death, anyway. This false belief also indoctrinates people that there can be no hell (death) waiting for them in doing sin! This very unbiblical doctrine tells people they don’t need a Savior in Yahshua! Can you think of the spiritual damage it can do to peoples’ soul? Therefore, we declare to all of you that the doctrine of an inherent immortal soul after one’s death is very deceiving, because it’s a Satan-inspired doctrine! Having said that we proclaim to you today that the human soul is not immortal! Always keep in mind that eternal life, or what you may call “immortal soul,” is a gift from Yahweh given only through His Begotten Son Yahshua, and is reserved to those whom He will choose to have it! We hope that you’re enlightened by this true and faithful message. May Yahweh bless you. Please help us reach more people to the real truths of Bible and its Good News by sharing this website to your family and friends. All this we humbly ask and pray in the name of our coming Savior and King Yahshua, Amen. Halleluyah, Shalom!
