Is The Soul Immortal?

The soul is said to be the only part of the human being that continues to live even after death. The soul, as is taught, is what will survive throughout eternity; whether in a place of rest which is often rendered to be heaven, or a place of torment, rendered as hell. For some, when a person dies the soul continues to roam the earth as a spiritual being known as a ghost. Many people (even such as myself), can share experiences of past relatives and/or friends visiting from the dead. The concept of an immortal soul is seemingly supported by biblical and extra-biblical proofs alike; thus making it inconceivable for anyone to even consider otherwise. The notions are strong. The soul does in fact seem immortal, but what does the Bible really teaches about the soul?

What Is The Soul?

The soul is often rendered as the supernatural or spiritual aspect of the human being. It is often illustrated as a floating, glowing body, or sometimes simply as a speck of light. The Bible however, seem to have a different perspective on what the soul is. The creation of the soul is seen in Genesis 2:7 KJV. Note that the scripture said "man BECAME a living soul", and not that man was given a soul. In addition, the English Standard Version (ESV), replaces the word "soul" with "creatures" as seen in Gen.2:7. This is because a soul really is just a creature or a living thing. Man does not have a soul therefore, man IS a soul! Every living creature on the face of the earth is a soul. This is seen in Genesis 12:5 KJV. Certainly Abraham did not have a bunch of dead people or spirits walking around with, thus these "souls" which he had gotten had to be his servants and cattle. The Hebrew word for soul is "Nephesh" (Strong's #05315), and it means "living thing", "creature" or "person". In a metaphoric context it speaks to the mind, appetite, desire or even emotion. All these expressions of the word are clearly seen in scriptures: Genesis 34:3 KJV (emotion), Genesis 46:18 KJV (person), Leviticus 16:31 KJV (appetite), 2 Samuel 13:39 KJV (desire), and 1 Chronicles 22:19 KJV (mind). The soul therefore encompasses the emotional, psychological and physical aspects of all living things. In essence, the soul is the life. This does not mean that the soul is a living organism inside a person or a thing, but rather the soul is what makes the person or thing alive.

A less complex definition of the soul is that is is a composition of two elements: body and spirit (breath). Like unto water being a composition of hydrogen and oxygen, the soul is a strategic composition of body and spirit. As it is that water is neither present in hydrogen nor oxygen, but is born into existence when these molecular structures combine; so is the soul neither present in the body nor in the spirit, but is born into existence when these elements are combined. This was what was depicted in Genesis 2:7 KJV. A more vivid description is seen in Ezekiel 37:6 NIV. The term "soul" therefore, refers to a living creature, that is, a body with the spirit or breath inside it.

The Soul Is Mortal

As it is that the soul comes into existence when there is a combination of body and spirit (breath), the soul would no longer exist if the combination is destroyed. In other words, there can be no soul if the body does not have spirit, or if the spirit does not have a body. Like unto the fact that water would no longer exist if the molecules are separated, the soul cannot exist if the elements are separated. Having established that fact, it now goes without saying that the soul cannot be immortal. Joshua killed several souls in Joshua 11:11 KJV. When a person dies, the body and the spirit are separated. The body is decayed back into the earth where it came from, and the spirit returns to its giver (Ecclesiastes12:7 KJV). The soul, at this point in time no longer exist. Based on the definition of the Hebrew "nephesh", the soul encompasses the emotional and psychological capabilities of the human being. When the soul is absent therefore, the thoughts and all consciousness perishes with it. This explain scriptures such as Psalm 146: 4 KJV and Ecclesiastes 9:5. From this perspective it can be understood that the soul does not continue to roam the earth after death. After death (i.e. the separation of body and spirit) the soul no longer exist. Admittedly, this is not the end of the soul. Whilst it does not continue to linger somewhere, it can be brought back into existence by simply recombining the elements. Once the body and the spirit are recombined, the soul will once more exist. This explains Yahshua's warning in Matthew 10:28. The soul therefore is very much capable of being destroyed. Whether it be temporarily by man separating the body from breath, or permanently by Yahweh utterly destroying the body and the breath. Once the body and the breath are separated, the soul no longer exist. The soul is not immortal. Immortality is a gift from Yahweh for those who endure (Rom.6:23). In addition, immortality is a transformation of the body, not the soul (1Cor.15:53). The soul therefore, is NOT immortal. Nowhere in scriptures teaches the immortality of the soul.

THOUGHT: If the soul is not immortal, how can ghost exist??? ... See article: Deception of the Devil ... coming soon...

The Voice of Yahweh has spoken ... He that has an ear, let him hear what the spirit say to the churches