The Bible States That We Are All Spirits Living In Bodies.

It is important to understand that we are all spirits living in bodies, and that when we die our spirits leave our bodies to live in Eternity, either in Heaven, or in Hell. 

In order to fully understand the concept of the human body with an indwelling human spirit we do need to go back to the original Creation of human beings, as described in the Bible. This is covered in greater detail in our teaching CREATION: THE GENESIS ACCOUNT

THE ORIGINAL CREATION OF ADAM AND EVE

The creation of the spirits of Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve were originally created as spirits, created in the likeness of God. Very soon after that the Lord God created bodies for them, "and man became a living being."

We start in Genesis 1:26-27, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness'. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

Approximately 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ became a Human Being. In Genesis1:26 and 1:27 God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all Spirits, and they created Adam and Eve in Their exact likeness. But before that Jesus Christ was a Spirit, as confirmed in the following Scriptures: 

Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God (Hebrew, "Elohiym" pleural, literally "Gods") created the Heavens and the Earth." 

John 1:1-4: "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

Colossians 1:15-17, "Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in Heaven and Earth, the things we can see and the things we can't; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together," TLB.
Thus the Bible states that God (pleural) originally made Adam and Eve as spirits in Genesis 1:27. 

But before that Jesus Christ was a Spirit. Therefore they must have made Adam and Eve as spirits in Genesis 1:27. 

We are told that God is a Spirit in John 4:25, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Therefore, when They (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) created something in their exact likeness, they must have created:

Spirit of Adam       Spirit of Eve

The spirits of Adam and Eve were created in Their exact likeness. 

The Creation of the Bodies of Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve were originally spirits, created in the likeness of God. Very soon after that God created bodies for them, "and man became a living being." In Genesis 2:7, the LORD God (Jesus Christ) formed the first living being, called Man, as recorded in Genesis 2:7: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." According to the Bible, our human bodies were originally created out of dust. 

It is interesting to note that the chemical components of the human body are exactly the same chemical elements as the dust of the ground. Our physical bodies are made up of 17 chemical elements. In fact these are the same 17 elements that are found in the dust of the ground. It is a matter of common observation that, after a body has been cremated, only dust remains.

It appears, from reading these first two chapters of the Bible, that the Creation of the Human Body was a two-part process. First of all the spirits of Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, and then these spirits were breathed by God into a human body, formed from the dust of the ground. 

It follows therefore, that we too, are composed of flesh, constructed out of the same chemical elements as the dust of the Earth, but containing an eternal spirit. 

When we die our spirits leave our bodies

We are told in the New Testament that human life in the body cannot exist without the indwelling spirit. James 2:26 states, "The body without the spirit is dead". 

When Jesus Christ created the first human body in Genesis 2:7, that body was dead until Jesus Christ breathed into that dead body the "breath of life". This "breath of life" would by definition have been the spirit of Adam created in Genesis 1:27. 

OUR BODIES DIE, BUT OUR SPIRITS LIVE FOREVER

Example 1: Ecclesiastes 12:6-7
The Bible states, "Remember your Creator now while you are young - before the silver cord of life snaps and the gold bowl is broken; before the pitcher is broken at the fountain and the wheel is broken at the cistern. Then the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it", Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, TLB. Thus at death the human body decomposes, but the spirit, which never dies, returns to God. This means that the "real you" is a spirit that will live forever.

Example 2: When Jesus died on the Cross, He gave up His Spirit
"So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit," John 19:30.

Example 3: The raising of Jairus' daughter by Jesus 
A 12 year old little girl died, and Jesus raised her back to life. This is described in Luke 8:51-56, "When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping. And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened". 

After death there is a judgement

We are also told in Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement". When the physical body dies, our spirit will live on, and go either to Heaven or to Hell. Both of these places have been described quite graphically in many of the stories, and no doubt you have already decided that Hell is not where you want to finish up!

Scientific Evidence For Near Death Experiences.

Since the beginning of time mankind has been trying to find the answers to the following questions:

- Where did I come from? 

- Why am I here? 

- Where am I going to? 

We also want to answer the question of what happens after we die. We all want to know the answer the question, "What happens after we die?"

Earlier civilisations were fascinated by life after death, as have been philosophers, artists and playwrights through the ages. All have expounded their theories of life after death. However, there was no way of applying any scientific reasoning to the question of life after death.

Towards the end of the twentieth century, doctors became aware 
of a phenomenon in which resuscitated patients reported Near 
Death Experiences. During these experiences, often referred to as NDE's, patients encounter an after life reality.

The phenomenon of NDE's, in which individuals reported consciousness beyond clinical death, has been documented for centuries. But only in the twentieth century could doctors apply technology and scientific reasoning to answer questions about life after death. 

There has been a great deal of scientific research about patients reporting a consciousness beyond clinical death. During these NDE's, patients report experiences of Heaven and Hell, after clinical death.


The questions raised by scientists about NDE's are:

1. What exactly is this phenomenon? 

2. Is this phenomenon the result of brain chemicals causing hallucinations? 

3. Or are the patients experiencing reality? 

The medical profession has recently become aware of the reality of NDE's

Towards the end of the 20th century, with the arrival of new technology, and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, the medical profession has been faced with the reality of these NDE's.

With the new technology the actual electrical recordings of the heart and the brain could be monitored, as well as other parameters such as pulse, blood pressure, respiratory movements, blood oxygen, blood carbon dioxide levels, and body temperature.

Doctors had also become skilled at Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation. When a patient's heart and respiratory system failed, these systems could be artificially maintained. Electrical shocks could be applied to the heart muscle, and intravenous medications given, in an attempt to restore normal heart function.

Shahid Siraj Din, Pakistan

An example of a Near Death Experience recorded in a hospital is the case of Shahid Siraj Din, with an example of an ECG tracing during clinical death.

The patient's name was Shahid Siraj Din. Shahid was a property developer in Lahore, Pakistan. He sustained a severe myocardial infarction on 6th March 1990. He was admitted to the famous Aadil Hospital, in Lahore, Pakistan, which was the first hospital in Pakistan to be awarded the prestigious ISO 9002 Certification.

Shahid Siraj Din was a patient of Dr Ansar Haider, a consultant cardiologist at the Aadil hospital. Despite the best efforts of Dr Haider's skilled medical team in the Intensive Care Unit, Shahid' heart stopped. In medical language he had a Cardiac Arrest.

Shahid was resuscitated using cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and received three separate electric shocks to his heart, using a cardiac defibrillator. Shahid was resuscitated after four minutes. The ECG evidence is shown here, with a straight line ECG tracing.

 

There is no question that Shahid was dead. At the time of his death he was being treated by Dr Ansar Haider, and was also accompanied by his sister and brother-in-law, both medical doctors.

After his resuscitation, Shahid explained that he felt his spirit leaving his body, and that he encountered angels and a demon, as well as Jesus Christ. Shahid's full testimony is recorded on this web site: for full details please click here.

Shahid's full testimony is also contained in the the free e-book BEYOND THE FINAL FRONTIER, also available on this web site.

To many people this may sound rather far fetched, so we have purposely reproduced a letter from the Aadil Hospital confirming that Shahid was indeed dead. Equally remarkable was the complete change in the patient's life, which is a very common feature of NDE patients.

Shahid gave up his very well paid job as a property developer, and, with his sister, Dr Tahira Saleem, he set up the Shekinah Churches and Shekinah Bible Institutes in Lahore and Quetta, Pakistan. These are now thriving Christian churches in a predominantly Moslem country. Shahid then became one of the best known Christian evangelists in Pakistan over a period of eight years. Shahid's life touched the lives of thousands of people.

Shahid sadly died for the second and last time in 1998. But he left behind him a thriving Bible college. 

His sister, Tahira, in an international speaker for Aglow International, and speaks on many subjects, including WHAT DOES GOD THINK ABOUT ABORTION? on this web site. She may be contacted at the following address:

Dr Tahira Saleem, 
Skekinah Bible Institute
159 Hamza Town,
19 km Main Forozepur Road, 
Lahore,
Cantt,
Pakistan
E-mail: tahira1@brain.net.pk

NDE accounts are extremely common

NDE accounts following cardio- pulmonary resuscitation are extremely common. The author of this book, Dr Richard Kent, spent some time as an anaesthetist, and was often involved in emergency Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation of very seriously ill and dying patients. He frequently heard patients giving their accounts of their Near Death Experience.

Typical accounts given by NDE patients

NDE patients record an after death consciousness and an expanded reality after clinical death. NDE patients often record how they seemed to leave their bodies, and were often very accurate in their descriptions of the operating theatre or Emergency Room. Their accounts are chronological, with a beginning and an end.

The accounts often included Biblical subjects, such as angels, demons, Heaven, and Hell. The accounts bear a striking similarity to each other, and the NDE patients insist that they are nothing like a dream or hallucination. In addition, children often provide startling accounts of NDE's.

Added credibility given to the NDE experience

The phenomenon of NDE's was given considerably more credibility when Maria, a migrant worker from Eastern Europe, died in an Intensive Care Unit in Seattle.

Following her resuscitation she described to the medical staff her out of body experiences both on the ceiling of the ICU, and also above the hospital itself. She also described a tennis shoe, which, she claimed, had been left on the roof of the hospital. The medical staff were shocked to discover that the tennis shoe was in fact present on the roof of the hospital, which Maria had no way of knowing, other than through her NDE experiences.

This event is discussed in the free movie THE FINAL FRONTIER viewable on this web site.

The Medical And Biblical Definitions Of Death.

Medical Aspects Of Death

- When a patient dies a doctor will normally certify that the patient is dead. If the patient is known to the doctor, and the cause of death is known, the doctor will normally issue a Death Certificate, usually with a second doctor.

- If the cause of death is not known, or uncertain, the doctor will normally refer the case to the local Coroner's Officer. A post mortem examination will then usually be conducted by a pathologist, who will ascertain the cause of death on the basis of post mortem findings.

Medical Examination To Certify Death

Sadly doctors are invariably very familiar with the examination of dead bodies to certify death. There are certain physical signs which a doctor will normally look for to certify death. These physical signs are as follows:

Examination of the Cardiovascular System: No pulse may be felt at a major blood vessel, such as the carotid artery in the neck. On auscultation of the heart with a stethoscope no heart sounds are heard. If an ECG machine (Electrocardiogram) is connected to the heart, no electrical activity may be detected at the heart, and there is a characteristic flat line tracing on the monitor.

Examination of the Respiratory System: There are no respiratory movements of the chest wall. On auscultation of the chest with a stethoscope no respiratory sounds may be heard. If the patient is connected to a ventilating machine, there are no voluntary movements of the patient's respiratory system detectable on the machine's breathing bag.

Examination of the Nervous System: The pupils become dilated due to lack of tone of the muscles of the iris. There are no skeletal muscle reflexes. If an EEG machine (Electroencephalogram) is connected to the brain, no electrical activity may be detected from the brain, and the characteristic electrical brain waves are flat.
Normally a medical doctor's task is complete when physical death has been confirmed, and a death certificate has been issued.


The electrical equipment above signifies that the patient has died

Biblical Aspects Of Death

The Bible teaches:

1. We are spirits living in bodies

2. Without the indwelling spirit, the body is dead.

3. At death the spirit leaves the body, and returns to God who gave it.

4. After death there is a judgement.

5. The spirit is indestructible, and lives on eternally, either in Heaven or in Hell.

The Bible does not deny the physical death of the human body, but states that there is more to the death of a human being than the death of the physical body.

- The Bible states that a human being consists of a human body, a soul, and a human spirit.

- The Bible states that the point of death, our human bodies die, and our human spirits leave our bodies.

- It is important to understand that, according to the Bible, human beings are all human spirits living in physical bodies.

- The Bible states that when we die our spirits leave our bodies to live in Eternity.

- The Bible states that after death there is a judgement, and the indestructible spirit lives eternally either in Heaven, or in Hell.

A Human Being Consists Of A Body, A Soul, And A Spirit

In order to fully understand the concept of the human body with an indwelling human spirit we do need to go back to the original Creation of human beings, as described in the Bible. This is covered in greater detail in our teaching Creation: The Genesis Account on this web site. 

The Bible is not studied in great detail today by most people. This is a tragedy, since only the Bible tells us how we all got here, and where we are going to!

The Bible is truly supernatural, as clarified in our teaching THE BIBLE IS SUPERNATURAL on this web site. As with most concepts, the simplest and best way to understand anything is to go back to the beginning. According to the Bible, our physical bodies are composed of the same elements as the dust of the Earth. Our bodies also contain a human spirit, which is essential for life.

THE ORIGINAL CREATION OF ADAM AND EVE

Adam and Eve were originally created as spirits

Adam and Eve were originally created as spirits, created in the likeness of God. Very soon after that the Lord God created bodies for them, "and man became a living being."

We start in Genesis 1:26-27, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness'. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

We are told that God is a Spirit in John 4:25, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Therefore, when God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit created something in their exact likeness, they created:

1. The Spirit of Adam

2. The Spirit of Eve

The spirits of Adam and Eve were created in God's exact likeness. Remember, God is not a human being, but a Spirit.

In Genesis1:26 and 1:27 God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all Spirits, and they created the spirits of Adam and Eve in Their exact likeness.

Jesus Christ is the giver of life

Approximately 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ became a Human Being. But before that Jesus Christ was a Spirit, as confirmed in the following Scriptures:

- Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth." 

- John 1:1-4: "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

- Colossians 1:15-17, "Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in Heaven and Earth, the things we can see and the things we can't; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together," TLB.

Thus the Bible states that God (pleural) originally created Adam and Eve as spirits in Genesis 1:27.

God created the first human being, Adam, in Genesis 2:7

Later the LORD God (Jesus Christ) formed the first living being, called Man, as recorded in Genesis 2:7: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." 

Adam and Eve were originally spirits, created in the likeness of God. Very soon after that God created bodies for them, "and man became a living being."

Our human bodies were originally created out of dust

It is interesting to note that the chemical components of the human body are exactly the same chemical elements as the dust of the ground. Our physical bodies are made up of 17 chemical elements. In fact these are the same 17 elements that are found in the dust of the ground. It is a matter of common observation that, after a body has been cremated, only dust remains.

It appears, from reading these first two chapters of the Bible, that the Creation of the Human Body was a two-part process:

- First of all the spirits of Adam and Eve were created in the image of God.

- Then these spirits were breathed by God into a human body, formed of the dust of the ground.

It follows therefore, that we too, are composed of flesh, constructed out of the same chemical elements as the dust of the Earth, but containing an eternal spirit.

THE BODY IS DEAD WITHOUT THE INDWELLING SPIRIT

The Bible states in James 2:26, "The body without the spirit is dead". In other words, no human life can exist without the indwelling spirit. The spirit enters the human body at conception, and leaves the human body at death. This is clearly illustrated in the following sections.

THE SPIRIT OF A HUMAN BABY ENTERS AT CONCEPTION

We are told that the human spirit is infused into the body of a baby while it is in its mother's womb. This is described in Ecclesiastes 11:5, "God's ways are as mysterious as the pathway of the wind and as the manner in which a human spirit is infused into the little body of a baby while it is yet in its mother's womb," TLB.

According to the James 2:26 a body without an indwelling spirit is dead. A baby's body cannot live without an indwelling spirit. The human spirit must therefore enter the body of the baby at conception.

THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST

At the Death of Jesus Christ, His Spirit left His Body and He died. The vital presence of the Spirit for human life is confirmed by the death of Jesus Christ. The Bible states in Luke 23:46, "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit". Having said this, He breathed His last".

In other words, as the Spirit of Jesus Christ left His body, He died. Without Jesus' Spirit, His Body was unable to support life, and He died.

THE RESURRECTION TO LIFE OF JAIRUS' DAUGHTER

The vital presence of the spirit for human life is confirmed by the raising to life of Jairus' daughter. This is an important concept, so we have reproduced the entire story from Luke 8:41,42, 49-54 (TLB ).

In this story, a 12 year old girl died, and Jesus raised her back to life: "A man named Jairus, a leader of a Jewish synagogue, came and fell down at Jesus' feet and begged him to come home with him, for his only child was dying, a little girl twelve years old. Jesus went with him, pushing through the crowds. A messenger arrived from the Jairus' home with the news that the little girl was dead. "She's gone," he told her father; "there's no use troubling the Teacher now." But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to the father, "Don't be afraid! Just trust me, and she'll be all right." When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn't let anyone into the room except Peter, James, John, and the little girl's father and mother. The home was filled with mourning people, but he said, "Stop the weeping! She isn't dead; she is only asleep!" This brought scoffing and laughter, for they all knew she was dead. Then he took her by the hand and called, "Get up, little girl!" And at that moment her life returned and she jumped up! "Give her something to eat!" he said. Her parents were overcome with happiness, but Jesus insisted that they did not tell anyone the details of what had happened." 

When the spirit of Jairus' daughter re-entered her dead body, she came back to life. As her death her spirit had left her body, body as her spirit returned, she came back to life. This demonstrates how vital the spirit is to support human life.

AT DEATH, THE SPIRIT LEAVES THE BODY, AND RETURNS TO GOD 

The following passage is taken from Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, "Remember your Creator now while you are young-before the silver cord of life snaps and the gold bowl is broken; before the pitcher is broken at the fountain and the wheel is broken at the cistern; then the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it" TLB. This passage confirms that at death the human spirit returns to God who gave it.

This says that at death the human body decomposes, but the spirit (which is indestructible) returns to God. This means that the "real you" is a spirit that will live forever.

AFTER DEATH THERE IS A JUDGEMENT

We are told in Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement". When the physical body dies, our spirit will live on, and will be sent either to Heaven or to Hell, according to our relationship with Jesus Christ. There were two thieves crucified with Jesus Christ. One is now in Heaven, and the other in Hell.

Jesus Christ said, in John 5:25-29, "I solemnly declare that the time is coming, in fact, it is here, when the dead shall hear my voice-the voice of the Son of God-and those who listen shall live. The Father has life in himself, and has granted his Son to have life in himself, and to judge the sins of all mankind because he is the Son of Man. Don't be so surprised! Indeed the time is coming when all the dead in their graves shall hear the voice of God's Son, and shall rise again-those who have done good, to eternal life; and those who have continued in evil, to judgment," TLB.

This will be discussed in much greater detail in later chapters.

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