The theory of the immortality of the soul was one of those false doctrines that Rome, borrowing from paganism, incorporated into the religion of Christendom. Martin Luther classed it with the "monstrous fables that form part of the Roman the dunghill of decretals." -E. Petavel, "The problem of immortality" page 255. Commenting on the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, that the dead know not anything, the reformer said: another place proving that the dead have no feeling. There is, says he, no duty, no science, no knowledge, no wisdom there. Solomon judged that the dead are sleep, and feel nothing at all. For the dead lie there, accounting neither days or years, but when they are awaked, the shall seem to have slept scarce one minute." Martin Luther, Exposition of Solomon's the Booke Called Ecclesiastes, page 152.
In the Hebrew: The Heavenly Father language was to Adam and Eve, " The day you eat of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil" "Dying You Will Die". And everything happen exactly as The Creator said and humans go to the grave, dying till they die.
The ministration of holy angels, as presented in the Scriptures, is a truth most comforting and precious to every follower of Yahu-shua. But the Bible teaching upon this point has been obscured and perverted by the errors of popular theology. The doctrine of natural immortality, first borrowed from the pagan philosophy, and in the darkness of the great apostasy incorporated into the Messianic faith, has supplanted the truth, so plainly taught in Scriptures, that "the dead know not anything." Multitudes have come to believe that it is the spirits of the dead who are the "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heir of salvation."
(The martyr Tyndale, referring
to the state of the dead, declared: " I confess openly, that I am not
persuaded that they be already in the full glory that the Saviour is in,
or the elect angels of the Creator are in.
Neither is it any article of my faith; for if it were so, I see not but
then the preaching of the resurrection of the flesh were a thing in vain."
William Tyndale, Preface to New Testament (ed.1534). Reprinted in British
Reformers-Tindal, Frith, Barnes, page 349.)
And this notwithstanding the testimony of Scriptures to the existence of heavenly angels, and their connection with the history of man, before the death of a human being.
GENESIS 3: 19.
The Saviour Stated many, many times that the dead sleepeth. See the following Bible verses: Matthew 9: 24, Mark 5: 39, Luke 8: 52, John 11: 11. Was Our Saviour a DOUBLE TALKER? What did he mean when he said Lazarus sleepeth? Is He the Author of CONFUSION in the churches? In the Bible, only Paul the Apostle is presented as been hard to be understood. See 2 Peter 3: 16-18.
The doctrine of man's consciousness in death, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the presence of the Heavenly Father and holy angels, and privilege with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed, why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living? If, as taught by popular theologians, the spirits of the dead are hovering about their friends on earth, why should they not be permitted to communicate with them, to warn them against evil, or to comfort them in sorrow? How can those who believe in man's consciousness in death reject what comes to them as divine light communicated by glorified spirits?
Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world.
While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises
his bewitching influence upon the minds.
He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness. Many are comforted with the assurance that their loved ones are enjoying the bliss of heaven; and without suspicion of danger, they give ear to "seducing spirits and doctrines of devils."
When they have been led to believe that the dead actually return to communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear when went into the grave unprepared. They claim to be happy in heaven, and even to occupy exalted positions there; and thus the error is widely taught, that no difference is made between the righteous and the wicked. The pretended visitants from the world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct. Then, as confidence is gain, they present doctrines that directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep interest in the well-being of their friends on earth, they insinuate the most dangerous errors. The fact that they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell future events, give to their statements an appearance of reliability; and their false teachings are accepted by the multitude as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truth of The Bible. The Law of The Heavenly Father is set aside, the Spirit of Grace despised, the blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The spirits deny the divinity of Messiah, and place the Creator in a level with themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel still carries forward his warfare against the Father in heaven, begun in heaven, and for nearly six thousand years continued upon the earth.
The prince of darkness, who has so long bent the powers of his master mind to the work of deception, skillfully adapts his temptations to men of all classes and conditions. To persons of culture and refinement he presents spiritualism in its most refined and intellectual aspects, and thus succeeds in drawing many into his snare. The wisdom which spiritualism imparts is that described by the apostle James, which "descendedth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish." James 3: 15.
But none need be deceived by the lying claims of spiritualism. The Heavenly Father has given the world sufficient light to enable them to discover the snare. As already shown, the theory which forms the very foundation of spiritualism is at war with the plainest statements of Scripture. The Bible declare that the dead know not anything, that their thoughts are perished; they have not part in anything that is done under the sun; they know nothing of the joys and sorrows of those who were dearest to them on earth.
Furthermore, The Heavenly Father has expressly forbidden all pretended communication with departed spirits...(Compare Numbers 25: 1-3; Psalm 106: 28; 1 Corinthians 10: 20; Revelation 16: 14.
Marvelous Beyond expression is the blindness of the people of this generation. Thousands reject the word of Yahu-Ul as unworthy of belief and with eager confidence receive the deceptions of Satan. Skeptics and scoffers denounce the bigotry of those who contend for the faith of prophets and apostles, and they divert themselves by holding up to ridicule the solemn declarations of the Scriptures concerning Yahu-shua and the plan of salvation, and the retribution to be visited upon the rejecters of the truth. They affect great pity for minds so narrow, weak, and superstitious as to acknowledge the claims of the Creator and obey the requirements of his Law. They manifest as much assurance as if, indeed, they had made a covenant with death and an agreement with hell-as if they had erected an impassable, impenetrable barrier between themselves and the vengeance of the Creator. Nothing can arouse their fears. So fully have they yielded to the tempter, so closely are they united with him, and so thoroughly imbued with his spirit, that they have not power and no inclination to break away from his snare.
It is an undeniable fact that the hope of immortal blessedness at death has led to a widespread neglect of the Bible doctrine of the resurrection. this tendency remarked by Dr. an Adam Clarke, who said: the doctrine of the resurrection appears to have been thought of much more consequence among the primitive believers than it is now. How is this? The apostles were continually insisting on it, and exciting the followers of the creator to diligence, obedience, and cheerfulness through it. And their successors in the present day seldom mention it ! So apostles preached, and so primitive Messianic believed; So we preach, and so our hearers believe. There is not a doctrine in the gospel on which more stress is laid; and there is not a doctrine in the present system of preaching which is treated with more neglect !"-Commentary, remarks on 1 CORINTHIANS 15,
paragraph 3.
"The woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden the Creator said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, or DYING YOU WILL DIE. And the serpent said unto the woman: "You will not die" "for the Creator know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes will be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3: 2-5. He declared that they would become like the Creator, possessing greater wisdom than before, and being capable of a higher state of existence. Eve yielded to temptation; and through her influence, Adam was led into sin. They accepted the words of the serpent, that the Creator did not mean what He said; they distrusted their Creator, and imagined that He was restricting their liberty, and that they might obtain great wisdom and exaltation by transgressing His Law.
But what did Adam, after his sin, find to be the meaning of the words, "In the day you eat thereof Dying you will die?" Did he find them to mean, as Satan had led him to believe, that he was to be ushered into a more exalted state of existence? Then indeed there was great good to be gained by transgression, and Satan was proved to be a benefactor of the race. But Adam did not find this to be the meaning of the divine sentence. The Creator declared that as a penalty for his sin, man should return to the ground whence he was taken: "Dust you are and unto Dust you will return" Genesis 3: 19. The words of Satan, "You eyes will be opened," proved to be true in this sense only; After Adam and Eve had disobeyed the Creator, their eyes were opened to discern their folly; they did know evil, and they tasted the bitter fruit of transgression.
Immortality, promised to man on condition of obedience, had been forfeited by transgression. Adam could not transmit to his posterity that which he did not possess; and there could been no hope for the fallen race, had not the Creator, by the sacrifice of his Son, brought immortality within their reach, Romans 5: 12; 2 Timothy 1: 10.
From the book "The Great Controversy" by Ellen Gould White.
Some information added by J Franquiz Director of Matthew 10: 26 Ltd "The Contextual Bible Study Ministry"TM