... We can call it the process of thought, which is the intellect of the mind, or soul. When one is brain dead, there is no electrical impulse within the brain, and mankind is considered dead, even though the physical body may still be pumping blood.
And do not forget that brain dead people do occasionally come back to life; not often, but it happens.
... the very inner man departs for this physical body, and returns to the Father. This decaying body will never be used again, ever.
I think you are both right and wrong for different reasons. In Ezekiel God says that the dry bones (with no flesh) were raised from the dead. Ezekiel 37:4-13; so even in the case of the corrupted body -- the bones can remain significant. The bible even speaks about this as an item of Faith; clearly seen in Abraham and Jacob.
For Abraham never received the promised land himself, while he walked the earth, but he still had his bones (and his wives bones) laid with him there. The same being true of Isaac and Rebekkah; but when it comes to Jacob -- his Idolatrous wife Rachel -- was not given that privilege, but died on a path to Bethlehem in childbirth; But -- Jacob and Leah were carried back to Abraham's tomb at their death.
Consider how important it was even to Joseph who had all of Egypt for a burial place if he had wanted it:
Exodus 13:19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him:
for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you;
and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
One of the worst curses that could be given to an enemy in those days, was to grind up their bones and burn them. The second worst was to not bury the body, but leave it in the open where dogs could lick up the blood -- ( and we know what dogs do to bones....! )
1Kings 21:23, 2Kings 9:10, etc.
And, I would agree that even these bones are not needed for God to raise someone from the dead; anymore than all the atoms that get flushed down the toilet during my life are what constitute my living body; for even if all the atoms of my body could be replaced by another atom of the same kind; It's still my body.
But, I think it wrong to say that the body itself is not of any re-use after death; for even if you deny the bones of those who have corrupted -- there was still a promise God made and spoken of in: Acts 2:27; and again in Acts 13:35; Psalm 16:3 (plural saints), Psalm 16:9,10
And even some miracles are associated with the bones alone, of someone holy: 2Kings 13:21
Those who God sanctifies fully (the truly faithful) do not suffer corruption in the Grave. ( Saint will differ from saint in Glory of Heaven ).
Just so:
It is the devil whom eats "dust" and destroys the body of man; but to those whom are faithful in all God's household; a special blessing *sometimes* is given: Elijah went up to heaven, and even Moses's body was considered important after it's death: Jude 1:9.
Historically speaking, embalming was never good enough to preserve a human body from rotting until recently; (less than 100 years of detailed bacteria knowledge)
Stalin wanted to preserve his body so much that he had teams of scientists work on the problem for years, and even so -- they've had to change the formula many times and do re-preservation in order to keep his body from deteriorating more.
A common person without resources couldn't hope to do that; and yet, some very old bodies of Christians who were not well buried in a sealed coffin, but placed in simple graves have been exhumed and the bodies found to be incorrupt. The skin as soft as if they had just fallen asleep. ( Incorruptibles ! ) I have only seen one of these myself, but it's beyond me how that could have happened over a 100 years ago.
When Paul says, "We are the body of Chirst" -- and God says "I will not allow my faithful one to see corruption"; I'm inclined to believe there is a very *REAL* tie in to the resurrection.
Consider: Lazarus was dead for four days; By the fourth day corruption HAS set (modern science says bacteria....) But the very fact that corruption is involved was a point Jesus went out of his way (waiting) to make sure had happened:
John 11:6, John 11:17, John 11:39 -- "SURELY by this time he STINKS!!!"
But Lazarus' resurrection (not a glorified body, even) is tied to Jesus' resurrection directly: For Jesus even corrects even Martha's naiive expectations about the resurrection from O.T. Prophecy.
John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that
he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her,
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
...
Note what he doesn't affirm; that the resurrection is merely something to happen in a far off time.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it." Then when? After the silver cord breaks, the mind is brain dead, and the body loses its life. Then shall the body "dust" return to the earth as it was, before it was formed into food, and entered your mouth as food to make your flesh body healthy.
That is true, but only so far as death reigns over the body; or that the body still dies:
"Unless a grain falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain.... but if it *dies* it will yield a rich harvest"
In the Garden of Eden, assuredly there was the kind of death that fertility or reproduction is: Genesis 1:12.
But there wasn't *corruption* of the body.
Food is formed into my body, and whatever forms it into my body (not the atoms/flesh itself) is what makes it a body; The power that allows me to chew, to digest, to re-shape food --- that's what a living body is.
When Paul talks about the mystery of our being the "body of Christ"; and says it is a deep one -- I can't help but agree; For you talk about Food, right? Notice that Jesus does too: "This is my flesh for the life of the world.";
And again, "It is the spirit that GIVES life".
And Paul says of the sanctified Christians, "You are the body of Christ!"; and again: If Christ is not raised from the dead, then *NEITHER ARE WE*.
Really!
Even in Jesus' resurrected and GLORIFIED body -- he broke bread, ate fish, denied he was a "Ghost"; (Mere spirit with no body.) and manipulated "atoms". (Lucky the fish that got to become God.... even if as a mere source of temporary atoms !)
The disciples misconception in Luke 24:37 -- is corrected by Jeus in Luke 24:39-41,42,43; and though not explicitly said, Jesus ate again in John 21:12. etc.
The spirit is the intellect of the soul, that gives the soul its identity. This is not complicated. When the body dies, and goes to the grave, the physical body will never have a use again,
For some, the atoms will never be used again -- for others, they in fact may be used again.
Also did not Moses and Elijah appear with Christ on the mount,if soul sleep were true,those two should have been sleeping,
I suggest you show the difference between a "vision" which is not tactile, and one which is;
Clearly, "visions" are not appearances of material objects; but messages of God sent to the eye as an image, or in sleep. If something *IS* a vision, then it isn't a physical thing -- if it's a physical thing (tactile) then it's not a vision.
Here scripture supplies the proof of the meaning of the word; for here a physical happening is *misunderstood* to be a vision.
Acts 12:9 And he went out, and followed him; and
wist not that it was true which was done by the angel;
but thought he saw a vision.
However: In the case of the Moses and Elijah, we are told explicitly that they were a vision by Jesus himself.
And one more Revelation 6:9 "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:" These souls were killed for their stand in the Word of God. Who could that be? The saints of God, for their souls are now at [not under] the altar of God in heaven. Those souls have died and are with the Father in Heaven. Revelation 6:10 "And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord [Master], holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth." Are not these people those who have died,if so ,which I believe them to be,why are they not asleep?
Amen. I think your argument from Revelation is flawless.
I also don't know of any time that I sleep, where my mind is not still working -- the dreams are happening -- and I am alive. Even when someone says "Sleep" -- I immediately think, there misusing the word for something they can't possibly know for fact.
