Questions about the state of the dead?

RonA · Seventh-day Adventist Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 17

The Adventist position concerning the state of the dead is that when you die you are laid to rest until the resurrection. But even though the bible seems to support this view, it presents some problems. Is man just a physical organism like a plant or an animal? Using terms like "laid to rest" and "asleep" are nice and comforting terms, but the reality is that the whole of an individual person, man or woman becomes nullified or annihilated when one dies. If man's emotional and intellectual psyche becomes completely eliminated at death, then how can their same exact personality be restored at the resurrection?

This is problematic for those who advocate this view to the extreme. All agree that man's spirit leaves the body upon death. But is man's spirit merely a "life force?" Or could the spirit of man also encompass the very emotional and intellectual aspect of man himself? Sort of like the impulses that are on a recorded tape or CD. But more sophisticated. Could God re-enter that spirit into a new resurrected body on the resurrection day? Thus the spirit of man becomes reactivated when it enters the new body.

If man is solely a physical being, then how do you account for dreams, emotions, such as anger, love and desire? And what of the intellect? We know that our physical brain is merely a blob of grey matter. How can our grey matter IN AND OF ITSELF produce pure thought?

I believe man is not just a physical being that ceases to exist at death, but he has a spirit within him, that at death survives and that this spirit returns to God, for safe keeping until the resurrection of the body. In this way the total PERSON or PERSONALITY can be restored. What do you say?

Bmax · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 6:38 pm Post subject:

Wow... totally excellent question to say the least.
I also struggled (at great length) with this matter for some time until it occured to me that God keeps a record of each of us on file in heaven.
This record contains great detail of our lives (kind of like keeping a constantly updated file on your computer), when ressurection day comes, this "file" is downloaded into the brains (computers) of our new (glorified) bodys thereby allowing us to pick up where we left off (at death).
I know this is not a perfect description, however, it's the best my puny little brain can do in regard to this matter.
I think that when we get our new bodys and spend a thousand years pouring over the records with our new (fully functional) brains, a lot of detail surrounding these and many other questions will make more sense.
Until then, I hope this helps you out.

Your friend:
Bmax :)
_________________
May the love of God free us for all eternity.
:)