Oh goodness B5...
You want to go to Leviticus to discuss the soul?
Don't you think we've made some progress in knowledge since 4,000 yeas ago? (maybe 3,000).
So what exactly dies at our death?
Our body for sure.
Do we have to wait for the resurrection?
Or do we go to be in our rightful place immediately after death?
Yeah, I take the Bible as a whole. The Bible's depiction of man doesn't change over time. I already explained what dies. When the God's breath leaves the man, the soul no longer exists as one of it's components are gone. The body returns to dust. Water consists of two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule. If you remover either of the two you no longer have water. Likewise, the soul consists of the breath of God and the body. If you remove either you no longer have a soul.
One reason there is so much confusion about this subject is because people have been taught all of these different ideas that are not in the Scriptures. People will hold tenaciously to these idea in spite of what the Scriptures say. Gen. 2:7 is abundantly clear about the creation of man and what he consists of. However, many people just don't want to believe it. In case there is any confusion God made it abundantly clear in Gen 3.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." (Gen. 3:19 NKJ)
"For dust you are". Notice what God said. God told Adam he is dust. He didn't say, you are dust and a spirit or you are dust and a soul. He said, "for you are dust". Notice too where he goes. "And to dust you shall return". He didn't say, and to dust your body shall return, He said, "and to dust you shall return."
Notice God uses the pronoun "you". The word you denotes person hood. You, denotes the essence of a being. It's not a part of someone but their very being. Adam's very being was dust, just like ours is. So, to answer your question, yes, we return to dust to await the resurrection.
As I've stated, the words that are translated soul are often translated life. What dies when a person dies? Their life. Their life ends. Their soul ends. We know that Jesus gave His life for sin to save the world.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22
in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- (Col. 1:21-22 NKJ)
We can see that it was through His body, through death that man is reconciled to God. Let's look at what Isaiah had to say.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for
he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.1
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.1
11
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isa. 53:8-11 KJV)
Jesus gave His soul as an offering for sin. We know that it was His life that He gave for sin. He died physically on the cross. That was the offering for sin. His soul died. His life ended. A soul is a living being. soul is often translated life. Leviticus says, 'the soul is in the blood. We know when the blood is gone so is the life. It's pretty clear from Scripture that a soul is not something mysterious that lives on after a person dies. It's their very life.
