Will You, I, or Anyone Else Cease to Exist?

by Bob Myhan

Does man have an immortal spirit that will survive death? Or does he cease to exist at death? This was one of the key doctrinal differences between the first century Sadducees and Pharisees.

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!" And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection--and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both (Acts 23:6-8).

But what does the Bible teach? Either it teaches that humans have an immortal spirit or it teaches that they do not have an immortal spirit or it teaches nothing, at all, on the subject.

When the Sadducees asked Jesus about the resurrection, He replied,

"...have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Matt. 22:31-32; Ex. 3:6)

Moses was born hundreds of years after Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died. Yet they must have been alive in some sense during Moses’ time or God would have been "the God of the dead," which Jesus said He is not. Thus, these men did not cease to exist when they died physically. Moses himself survived death; he appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration about 2500 years after he died on Mount Nebo (Deut. 34:1-6; Matt. 17:1-3). Samuel also appeared on earth after his death (1 Sam. 28:7-19). Elijah did not experience physical death, at all (2 Kings 2:9-11), but he did not cease to exist at his ascension; he also appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

But all these men were righteous. What about the wicked? Is there any evidence they do not cease to exist at death? According to Jesus, all the dead will one day be resurrected.

"Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29).

Either the wicked do not cease to exist at death or the word, resurrection, means something different for the wicked than it means for the righteous. If there is no spirit that survives death, there will be no spirit to resurrect. 

 

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