Pastor's Comments June 29, 2012

“Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit [of man] will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Job 32:8)

Recently a quote was made regarding the above Scripture that Dr. Herman L. Hoeh made many years ago while yet in the parent Church that it would appear God keeps the spirits of the dead and dying where they have been buried.

A question has since been raised about the accuracy of what he said when it says plainly the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Please realize what is being presented here that seems to support his belief is not dogma or doctrinal teaching. It is only offered as an interesting Bible study without any proof to support his belief.

Some years ago, I stood within a couple of feet from a man staring in his eyes a moment before he died. He was sitting up in his bed looking directly at me with a scared look on his face – eye to eye.

Then I observed the light of life receding (fading away) from his eyes as his human spirit departed from him and he died.

“For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals, one thing befalls them; as one dies, so dies the other. Surely they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?” Ecclesiastes 3:19-21.

NOTE: Solomon asks the question because there was a current belief there was the difference in destiny. However the question here is whether God keeps the spirit in the grave with the deceased or goes where God is (Eccl. 12:7).

MYSTERY OF THE AGES, “Will We Each Live Again,” Pages 126-127, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong

“But there is more to this life than living for the present life. The Great God put humans here on this earth for a marvelous, eternal purpose, not even understood by this world’s humanly devised religions . . . Even though when we die we are dead, we will not remain dead forever. The dead in their graves will live again! John 5:28-29.

. . . the spirit in man of itself does not see, cannot hear, cannot think. The brain sees through the eye, hears through the ear, and thinks as it is empowered by the spirit.

At death, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Eccl.12:7.

The spirit is the depository of memory and character. The spirit is like a mold. It retains even the human form and shape of the deceased, so that in the resurrection to judgment those who have died shall look as they did in life, retain whatever character they established in life, remember everything that was stored in their memory. But in the meantime, in death, there is no consciousness—“they know not any thing” (Eccl. 9:5).

The resurrection back to human life is made possible by the Lord GOD returning the human spirit to each one. This can be seen by what Scripture teaches about this coming resurrection.

This will be a time when all who have died not having had the opportunity to be called and selected to be among God’s elect people will be brought back to human life, billions of men, women, children and babies:

“. . . Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath (Hebrew: ruach = wind, spirit in man) in them. Then He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath (margin: breath of life, spirit in man). Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Come from the 4-winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain (Genesis 2:7, breath of life), that they may live.’ So I prophesied, as He commanded me, and BREATH (margin: breath of life, spirit in man), and they lived (again from former lives), and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army (billions). Then He said to me, “Son of man these bones (represent) are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our HOPE is lost, and we ourselves are cut off.’ . . .” (Ezekiel 37:1-14).

In this resurrection there will be billions of people having their lives restored in a new world that will be far different from the one they knew in their life time.

Consider also the use of Elijah by God to restore the life of a young lad who had died.

Elijah prayed fervently asking God to restore the life of a young lad who had died:

Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house (where he was staying during the famine in Israel) became ill. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath in him. . . . And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the LORD and said,

“O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child CAME BACK to him and he revived.” . . . (I Kings 17:17-24).

Question: Where does God choose to keep the spirit of each person who has died, or will yet die?

Though no conclusive answer can be given, the implication from these Scriptures is that God chooses to keep the spirit where the person was buried or cremated (general vicinity).

“And many (all, John 5:28-29) of those who SLEEP in the dust of the earth SHALL AWAKE, some to everlasting life, some to shame (2^nd resurrection), and (all others) everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2).

“Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, and with strong pain in many of his bones, so that his life abhors bread, and his soul (Hebrew: Animal soul, nephesh), and his flesh succulent (margin: desirable) food. His flesh wastes away from sight, and his bones stick out which once was were not seen. Yes, HIS SOUL DRAWS NEAR THE PIT, and his life to the executioners . . . He will redeem HIS SOUL from the pit . . . to bring back HIS SOUL from the pit” (Job 33:22-22, 28, 30

In each of those Scriptures in Job 33, the Hebrew word for soul is one and the same: Animal soul, nephesh – meaning life; the spirit in man.

Consider the word SLEEP as Jesus Christ used it regarding those who die – the sleep of death.

The sleep of death is in type and used in a dual sense of a person going to sleep at night and not awakening until morning, prepared for a new day.

Merriam Webster’s Deluxe Dictionary: 1. The natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored; to rest in a state of sleep 2. To be in a state (as of quiescence or death) resembling sleep.

Jesus Christ awakening Lazarus, a friend of Jesus Christ, who had died and was entombed for four days before He came to his burial place, is a type of the soon-coming resurrection:

. . . He said to them (his disciples), “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may WAKE HIM UP. . . .” Then Jesus . . . came to the tomb. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” . . . He cried with A LOUD VOICE, “LAZARUS COME FORTH!” And he who died came out . . .” (John 11:11, 38-39 43).

In the same manner, and likewise, when Jesus Christ returns He will give a LOUD CRY while the 7^th trumpet is being LOUDLY SOUNDED, and all those of the faithful elect will AWAKEN from their sleep of death and rise to meet Him in this earth’s atmosphere – in the clouds:

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have FALLEN ASLEEP . . . for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven WITH A SHOUT (as He shouted to Lazarus to come forth from death) with the voice of an archangel (called this because he has charge under Christ of the angelic army of God – and of the angels gathering together the saints of God, Matthew 24:30-31), and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will RISE first” (I Thessalonians 4:13, 18).

The Apostle Paul wrote further about the dead in Christ being brought back to life in the soon-coming resurrection:

“Then also those who have FALLEN ASLEEP . . . But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the Firstfruits of those who have FALLEN ASLEEP . . . For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be MADE ALIVE ” (I Corinthians 15:18, 20, 22).

The LORD God used His prophet Isaiah to also write of the resurrection back to life from the dead:

“Your dead shall LIVE (No immortal soul. They were dead); together with my dead body they shall ARISE. ‘AWAKE’ AND SING you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the EARTH SHALL CAST OUT THE DEAD [an upheaval of the bodies from within the earth to its surface]” (Isaiah 26:19).

Israelites and Gentiles alike will be resurrected in the first and second resurrections: The saints to experience everlasting Spirit life in the first resurrection, and all others restored to human life in the second resurrection with the potential of experiencing a new birth to Spirit Life within God’s Master Plan (Revelation 20:5; Ezekiel 37).

“. . . 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 . . .” (John 5:28-30).

Being graced with eternal life will be made possible by having another Spirit with the human spirit, God’s Holy Spirit:

“But IF the Spirit of Him who RAISED Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who RAISED Christ from the dead will also GIVE LIFE to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwells in you” Romans 8:11).

Brethren, the comments in this pastoral writing have not been written to establish the belief that God keeps the spirit of those who die with the individual as doctrine. It is merely to respond to the question that is undoubtedly in the minds of many, especially after reading Ecclesiastes 12:7, “Where does God keep the spirit of man when he dies?” – a response without giving a precise and conclusive answer.

It is an interesting study with wonderment as to the real answer, but not necessary for us to know at this time.

In time to come we will know for sure. The important thing to realize and know that wherever God chooses to keep the spirit of each one— at the right time in God’s Master Plan— it will once again come to life in body in the soon-coming resurrection from among the dead – eternal life for the Elect – human life for all others in a later resurrection.

“The spirit that is in every human acts as a MOLD. It PRESERVES the human’s MEMORY, his CHARACTER, his FORM AND SHAPE. . . .

In the resurrected SPIRIT form he will suddenly come ALIVE. It will seem like the next flash of a second from his loss of consciousness at time of death. He will have all his memory intact. He will look as he did in human life in form and shape. Even his fingerprints will be the same.

The CHARACTER which he allowed God to build within him will be there. He will be alive FOREVER! And, like God the Father, by his own will, he will have been made so that he CANNOT sin (I John 3:9).”

What an awesome and incredible future waiting for each faithful and enduring saint of God and Jesus Christ!

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