 What is soul sleep and is it biblical? Hey, smart Christians, welcome back. A question that comes up from time to time is this issue of soul sleep and is it biblical? The Bible never states that a soul is asleep, but it will say that in a couple passages that someone is asleep. And the reason for that is kind of euphemistically used, kind of as a figure of speech to state that a person is dead, that person looks like they're asleep. Now, we're told, though, what actually happens to a particular person's soul when they die in the scriptures, but I just want you to be clear. This issue of soul sleep is held by a few people like maybe the Seventh-day Adventist and Jehovah's Witnesses. Well, that's not biblical. The soul is not asleep, waiting for anything. As a matter of fact, we are told in certain passages what happens with the person. Now, what is that sleep? Again, euphemistically would be the body. The body is resting. Now, this is before there was cremation and so that issue is not even contemplated by the people of that day, but the body is just at rest. And we're told what's to be expected of that body later on. But before we go there to deal with the body, let's first deal with the person's soul. In Philippians 1, verses 21, Paul says, Now, Paul's point is once he dies, and of course, he's also expecting death at any moment, that once he dies, he will go to be with the Lord. So if his soul is asleep, then that's not a possibility. Another passage to look at that also sheds light on this is 2 Corinthians 5.8. Paul says there, he says, Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Some versions may say to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, meaning that once you die, your soul goes to be with the Lord. That is, obviously, if you are a believer in Christ. And so now to address this issue of those who are asleep, let's also turn to Paul's writing in 1 Thessalonians. He states in chapter 4, verse 13, look what he says. He says, But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep. Paul is speaking to people who have died. He says that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. So here Paul is speaking to those who have died, but then he's talking about bringing back those who have fallen asleep. Well, why is he going to bring back those people who have fallen asleep? Well, let's continue and see if we get a better explanation. He says, For this we declare to you by the word from the Lord that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not proceed those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with a voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so will always be with the Lord. And Paul says, Therefore, encourage one another with these words. So what Paul is saying here is that the people who have, as he says euphemistically again, who have fallen asleep, they will come back. Those who have fallen asleep in the past, they will come with Christ and their bodies will be caught up. They will receive a new body. And those of us who are still here that remain, we will also then after that be caught up. And so that's the part that we understand to be asleep, the body, not the soul. Paul has already told us that once you die, you go to be with the Lord again. That is, if you are in the Lord, if you have faith in Christ and then you will go to be with him immediately. So I hope that explains it and clears up any sort of confusion. But it should be clear that our souls once we die, though our bodies may seem to be at rest or sleep, our soul goes to be with the Lord and never does it sleep. Amen.