"--Ecclesiastes 9:10.
[66]Again speaking of man, God says of him: "Nevertheless man being in
honor abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish". (Psalm 49:12)
Anything that perishes cannot be conscious, cannot be in existence and
of course cannot be immortal.
[67]It was Jesus who said: "God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life". (John 3:16) Here the proof is conclusive
that death means the perishing of all unless redemption is received
through Jesus Christ. This would absolutely disprove consciousness of
the dead and would disprove also the immortality of the soul.
[68]Death is spoken of in the Bible as a sleep, for the reason that God
intends in his due time to awaken all of the dead and give them an
opportunity of life. The Bible abounds in the expressions referring to
the dead as asleep. A few of these expressions are: "David slept with
his fathers, and was buried in the city of David". (1 Kings 2:10) "The
fathers fell asleep." (2 Peter 3:4) '"The greater part remain until this
day, but some are fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:6) "I would not have
you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep; ... them
also which sleep will God bring [forth] by Jesus [in the resurrection]."
--1 Thessalonians 4:13,14.
[69]We must conclude from these Scriptures that the dead are wholly
unconscious from the moment of death until such future time as the Lord
may be pleased to awaken them out of death and give them an opportunity
of life, which he purposes to do, as set forth in his great plan.
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