INTERMEDIATE
STATE OF THE DEAD
And
the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with
thy fathers; … (Deut. 31:16)
But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the
ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea,
and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down,
and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall
not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. (Job 14:10-12)
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed
time will I wait, till my change come. (Job 14:14)
If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in
the darkness. (Job 17:13)
For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave
who shall give thee thanks? (Ps. 6:5)
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into
silence. (Ps. 115:17)
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that
very day his thoughts perish. (Ps. 146:4)
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know
not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for
the memory of them is forgotten. (Eccle. 9:5)
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;
for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom,
in the grave, whither thou goest. (Eccle. 9:10)*
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt. (Dan.12:2)
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this,
he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60)
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others
which have no hope.
*
See also Ps. 88:10-12; Isa. 38:18; Ps. 30:9; cf., Ps. 28:1;
Job 14:21.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself
shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord. (1 Thess. 4:13-17)
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since
the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were
from the beginning of the creation. (2 Pet. 3:4)
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at
once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present,
but some are fallen asleep. (1 Cor. 15:6)
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And
if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet
in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
(1 Cor. 15:16-18)
Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch
David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre
is with us unto this day. … For David is not ascended
into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto
my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes
thy footstool. (Acts 2:29,34,35)
We have here the positive assertion of Peter, that, though
David had been dead and buried for centuries, he had not
gone to Heaven. Verily our Father leaves no reason for doubt
on the part of those who search the scriptures to know the
truth. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become
the first- fruits of them that slept. (1 Cor. 15:20)