Every person conceived in the womb of a woman has a soul. The soul of a person contains everything that person is and has the potential of becoming. The body is the container of the soul, and under most usual conditions the soul remains within the body
until released by death to the body.
Once the soul leaves the body of a believer in Jesus Christ, it is called the spirit. According to the Word of God, there are several things that can happen at the moment of bodily death, depending on the spiritual state of the soul at the moment of death.
Before we discuss, these conditions we must first understand the reason for death. Death must come to every human being to free them from the hold of sin. Every person is born into sin, and every person must die to release them from sin. Sin cannot remain in a dead body; thus, sin dies when the body dies.
1. When a faithful Christian has received the baptism of Jesus Christ, he is actually going to his grave at that moment. Death is brought to him under the baptismal waters, and the hold of sin within his body is brought to death. Once bodily death (painless) comes to a Christian, the soul of the Christian is immediately released, and ascends to Heaven for a period of rest until the establishment of the New Earth. The ascended spirit is given a new container (or body) while in Heaven.
2. When a not so faithful Christian, who has received the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ, but NOT received the baptism of Christ, then he goes to his grave for a while. This Christian’s soul lies in the grave, within the decaying body, until it is resurrected by Jesus Christ during the rapture period. The spirit is then risen up into Heaven for a short time while the End Things are being done on earth through the Judgments of Jesus Christ.
3. Christian Martyrs who defend and die by their choice to uphold the Word and Being of the LORD God and Jesus Christ rest under the altar of God until all is fulfilled. Going to the grave for the Word of God completes this martyrdom. Their spirits receive resurrection during the rapture period, where they go to Heaven for a time, then on to the New Earth to receive great honor and position.
4. Most Jew’s souls sleep in their graves until resurrected to the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ. At their Judgment, they will be judged according to the law of the LORD God by the Lord Jesus Christ whom they will recognize. Those righteously obedient Jews and those embracing faith in Christ will go on to the New Earth and receive their inheritance as promised by the LORD God, and those who are wickedly disobedient sent to eternal punishment.
5. Common people, who have no belief or faith in Jesus Christ, die within their bodies. At the moment of their death they sometimes feel great pain and sometimes even a similitude of peace when they have been tricked by false doctrines and beliefs in their life. At the moment of their death, most souls go to sleep inside the dead body, and lay in their grave until resurrected to stand before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ. In very rare cases, distressed souls or those woken from the dead by the unscrupulous living, wander about without their body, seeking answers that can not be found.
At that Judgment Seat, Jesus weighs the things the common people did in life, and judges them accordingly. Those who have not followed the Word of God and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior in their lifetime, are guaranteed a certain verdict of guilty, and a promised damnation into Hell, a place of eternal punishment.
Death to all living bodies brings death to sin. The soul is released from the dead body according to rules of the LORD God that are written for all to see in His Word. Once a person has died, change cannot be accomplished to the spiritual destiny of the soul. It is vital that a person prepare his soul before death comes, and wise for the person to embrace the Word of God, and accept the unearned salvation and resurrection of Jesus Christ, before it is too late.
John 12:44-50
Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
Romans 6:1–14 (KJV 1900)
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 pBlotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them uin it.
1 Corinthians 15:51–58 (KJV 1900)
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Revelation 6:9–11 (KJV 1900)
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls 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? 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.
Revelation 7:9–14 (KJV 1900)
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:1–8 (KJV 1900)
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
