“Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he die he will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never ever die.'” -- John 11:25,26.
The above scripture is often quoted in an effort to prove that the dead are not really dead. Some claim that Jesus was speaking about man's immortal soul as never dying. Others claim that Jesus was talking about a person's spirit. The idea is usually that when the body dies, the soul or spirit continues to be alive somewhere. Actually, such teachings come from heathen beliefs. Such is not found in the Bible, and there is no indication in what Jesus that he was speaking of everyone having a soul or spirit that continues to be alive after the body is dead. Indeed, Jesus was only speaking of "everyone who lives and believes in" him.
Jesus was actually discussing the resurrection on the "last day". (John 6:39,40,44,54; 11:24; 12:47,48) We do find that both Martha and Jesus spoke of the resurrection as occurring in the “last day”. It is in the resurrection “at the last day” that he who lives -- he who has been raised in the last day -- and believes in Jesus in that last day will never die. In the resurrection will be, not only those who believe in the present age, but also those who do not believe at present. “As in Adam all are dying, so in the Messiah all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22) “There will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just [justified] and the unjust [those not justified].” (Acts 24:15) And 2 Thessalonians 1:10 speaks of some who now oppose the truth as believing 'in that day.’
Thus, we conclude that Jesus could be, in effect, speaking of two different groups: first, those who believe in this age, and after that those who believe in the day of judgment, when the all nations will learn the ways of Jehovah. (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14) Regardless, those who believe in this age, though they die, will live again in the "last day," and will never die. Also, those who disbelieve in this age are to be made alive in the last day, and if they then believe, they will never die. This harmonizes with John 5:28, 29; 12:47,48; Acts 24:15 and many other scriptures pertaining to the day of judgment and resurrection of the dead.
The reality, however, is John 11:17-26 produces no evidence whatsoever of the soul or spirit surviving death as a conscious, living being. No mention is made there (or anywhere else in the Bible) of a soul or spirit as being immortal, or that either continues to be alive and conscious while it is dead. Jesus was obviously speaking of the resurrection, not of an immortal soul that cannot be destroyed and continues to conscious while dead.
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