Refuting the Jehovah's Witnesses on Soul Sleep

[Limey_Bob]

Revelation 14:13.  Soul Sleep.

 

The Jehovah's Witnesses teach "soul sleep" i.e. that a person ceases to exist at the point of death, until their recreated by Jehovah God on the paradise earth. That being so, why the dead said to be "happy" when they have no existence? However even their own (false) Bible reads at Revelation 14:13: "Happy are the dead who die in union with the Lord from this time onward."

 

[OneLight]

There are those that are not Jehovah Witnesses that believe in soul sleep.  This doctrine is not specific to just them.

[Limey_Bob]

1 minute ago, OneLight said:

There are those that are not Jehovah Witnesses that believe in soul sleep.  This doctrine is not specific to just them.

Yes, good point, the Jehovah's Witnesses as well as the Seventh Day Adventists both have common roots in William Miller's Adventist movement and both teach the error of Soul Sleep.

[OneLight]

I have heard those who are not of either group who believe that once the body dies, the soul awaits the rapture, hence, soul sleep.  My point it, this doctrine is not bound to any specific denomination or group as it is found in many denominations, a personal belief.

[Limey_Bob]

14 minutes ago, OneLight said:

I have heard those who are not of either group who believe that once the body dies, the soul awaits the rapture, hence, soul sleep.  My point it, this doctrine is not bound to any specific denomination or group as it is found in many denominations, a personal belief.

Yes I can see your point, some people in liberal groups also teach soul sleep. However the chief proponents are the JWs and SDA who together have congregations of well over 10 million. I do regard soul sleep as error, but I would not regard people who hold to only that error alone as heretics, soul sleep is a hetraodox belief, it's wrong, but I don't believe that holding to just that belief is evidence that the person is unsaved.

[OneLight]

I agree, it is not a salivation issue.  Nobody will ever know how much time will pass after they die and are with Christ until it happens.  Hope there are those who will listen and learn, but if not, nothing is lost.

[enoob57]

One may absorb as much Scripture as one can to know... and the creative Word may as well be used- for the creative and written Word contain all truth necessary

Romans 1:20 (KJV)

[20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

If we rely fully on the complete hermeneutic of this verse it says as much... Point in fact I am because God has brought me to be BUT also I was in Him before I am therefore I AM ^that I AM... now there is no way to bring boundary to subject material of this type because whether conscience of self or not The I AM 'IS'... This is how we can dismiss our own cognitive requirements (death to self) and rest fully IN I AM... When God has become the everything as conceptual value you simply cannot look elsewhere ... the eternal state!

I came back to add this... it helps us understand how that sin was brought forth in the angel Lucifer. He had been given so much because his position required it -YET- when he viewed it outside of God's possession as his alone sin began there called lie...
Love, Steven

[simplejeff]

So if someone sleeps,  and wakes 'in the twinkling of an eye' (1 to 10 billion nanoseacods) 

does anyone / has anyone called that "soul sleep" and if so why ?

[missmuffet]

When a person dies their soul goes immediately to heaven or Hades. If the rapture comes before death then the Christian will go to heaven with Jesus Christ.

[B3L13v3R]

2 hours ago, Limey_Bob said:

The Jehovah's Witnesses teach "soul sleep" i.e. that a person ceases to exist at the point of death, until their recreated by Jehovah God on the paradise earth. That being so, why the dead said to be "happy" when they have no existence? However even their own (false) Bible reads at Revelation 14:13: "Happy are the dead who die in union with the Lord from this time onward."

Thanks Limey_Bob, I just highlighted and dog-eared that Rev 14:13 verse in my Jehovah Witness "New World Translation" cultic false bible.
 
Agreed, a heterodox belief like "soul sleep" that applies primarily towards those in the SDA and JW's does not send one to Hell. Even though in of itself is a step in the right direction for more fallacy to follow concerning the things of our Lord!

Just had a van load of the lost cultic JWs pull up to my door just now, what timing I thought as I was looking over this and a few other Worthy pages! They sent out a woman to pass along their "Awake" misconstrued mini magazine and a convention that's coming up in Philadelphia for 3 days called "Don't Give Up!" I would hope some JWs would "give up" and repent of their "sins" and believe on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!
I've been on the JWs "watch list" for a while. On rare occasion when they visit now, it's usually a seasoned JW pro. Thankfully in the past, I've had more than a few thinking in the direction of God's Truth!

This round they tried to make it a "one way" conversation with just a woman who did not take a breath, as the rest sat in the van intently listening. I attempted to give her a Christian tract, but the woman pulled away. (Their "not allowed" to take any information from others generally, although on "rare" occasion, they will.) In finally having a moment to speak after her demonic spill, I managed to get out the fact that Jesus Christ was never the archangel Michael but made Michael! He was in fact the eternal Son of God, who would have them repent and believe the "real" Gospel, Hell was eternal, (they do not believe this) and I did not want them going there forever as she was walking away... As she got back into the van not wanting to hear any more, I loudly  asked them to all repent, and to take the test at NeedGod.com

Join us folks as we regularly pray for the salvation of the lost in general, and the lost in the many religious cults or our day!