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Are the Dead Asleep? Can They Think? Can They Communicate? The answer is "yes," "yes," and "yes!" In the previous lesson on Body, Soul, and Spirit, I think that the scriptures demonstrated that there is a difference between the physical body, the soul, and the spirit. When you fall asleep, your body is considered to be in an unconscious state, however, you still dream, don't you? Your mind is still active, isn't it? Some people have received creative ideas from their dreams. In fact, some people have seen a glimpse of a future event in a dream. Now, we should not live our lives according to dreams, and that is not what I am advocating here. What I am saying is that when we are asleep, we do not cease to think, nor do we cease to exist. In fact, according to the bible, God sometimes uses our state of sleep to communicate to us through our dreams: Matthew 2:12-14 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt... So, although our body is unconscious while we are asleep, our mind (spirit) can communicate with other spirits in our state of sleep. On the subject of death as it relates to "sleep", the bible refers to death as a state of sleep. Consider this scripture: Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. Even Jesus referred to the dead as asleep. John 11:11-13 Jesus...saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Lazarus was dead, but Jesus referred to him as "sleeping." Okay, we have established the dead are "asleep" but it is allot more complex that. Obviously, a dead body is unconscious, and it can no longer communicate here on earth. But, is that to say that their mind, soul, and spirit (all one in the same) is not somewhere else? communicating with people somewhere else? Get ready for this... Did you know that when Jesus died on the cross, while His body lay in the tomb, he preached to people who had died hundred of years earlier in Noah's flood! "What?" you ask. Yes, Jesus, while his body was "asleep" and dead in the tomb, apparently still able to think and communicate, (not in His bodily form, but a spiritual form) went to a place - a prison (which we will discuss in another later) and He communicated with people who were already dead! He preached to them. Obviously, one does not preach to people if they are totally unconscious!! Right? Consider this scripture: 1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ ...being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah... Do you see that although He was put to death in body, he was still alive in the spirit? He was "quickened" or made alive by the Spirit so that his spirit went to a place and preached to other spirits in prison who were killed by Noah's flood. Now, there are certain people who are sometimes referred to as the soul-sleepers. They think that when you die, you are asleep and therefore you are totally unconscious - you know nothing - nothingness - blank. How do they handle that scripture? (1 Peter 3:18-20) Well, they explain it away asserting that Jesus appeared in the flesh (not the spirit) during the days before Noah's flood and preached to the people BEFORE they died, before the flood. No, no, no! I am sorry, it does not say that! The soul-sleepers have to twist that scripture all around to make it say want they think it should say. That is what I refer to as Bible Gymnastics! It says what it says:   Jesus was   1) put to death in the flesh, 2) made alive by the Spirit, and    3) preached unto the spirits in prison from the days of Noah. The soul-sleepers use the following scripture to prove that the dead are totally unaware, blank, and unconscious... Ecclesiastes 9:6 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. First of all, when you study the bible, you have to look at the scriptures in their totality. You cannot pull out one thing and run with it. You have to consider all of the other scriptures pertaining to that subject. Otherwise, you may mis-interpret the meaning. For example, there is a verse that says that Jesus tells us to hate people... Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. To look at that statement alone, and not within context, to not compare it with his other teachings - is an error! Jesus also says that the greatest commandment is to love God and love others Mark 12:30-31. Obviously, that verse means that you should never put anyone, not your mother, not your father, not yourself first. To be a disciple, you must follow Jesus first. If your mother or father or anyone tries to keep you from being a disciple, then you should "hate" that obstruction. So, my point is that you cannot take one verse and base your whole belief system on that. If you look at that particular scripture closely, you will see that it is speaking of the earthly realm anyway... Ecclesiastes 9:6 ... the dead know not any thing...the memory of them is forgotten...neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun (on earth). I would conclude from this scripture he dead body knows nothing. It cannot partake of anything under the sun - on earth. Now, some would argue that Jesus was a "special" case and we are not to be compared to Jesus. After all Jesus performed many miracles, even raising the dead. In fact, there are many examples in the bible of everyday people, just like you and me, who remain conscious in their state of death. Consider the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Now, some argue that the following story is only a parable, and we should not assume that the dead are conscious because -after all, it is a only parable. Hey, people, our God is not a God of confusion! 1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion... A parable is a story that demonstrates truth! It is a teaching tool. It helps us understand. Whether Lazarus is/was a real person, or whether he is a fictional character as part of a parable, the biblical truths of the whole story remain the same! Jesus would not tell us a story that is all wrong. The whole point of a parable is to explain the truth. Let's examine story of the rich man and Lazarus for ourselves. Luke 16:19-31 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Whooow! This parable, or real-life account, teaches us several things. First, the rich man was dead. Although his body was dead, apparently his soul/spirit was still wide awake. Second, he was suffering. He experienced pain. He was in a place of torment. Third, he communicated with Abraham, another spirit. Fourth, he remembered those on earth and was concerned about his brothers who were still alive on earth. The beggar, Lazarus, was also fully aware of his surroundings. He, on the other hand, was experiencing comfort. I will discuss this in detail later. The point here is that although dead, they were both fully aware of their circumstances and they were able to communicate in the afterlife. If the soul-sleepers try to conclude that this parable was about the need for the rich to feed the poor, then they understood only one small part of that teaching. Rather, it tells us allot about what happens to us after we die. Come on soul-sleepers, wake up! Thus, so far, we see that according to scriptures, Jesus was able to communicate after His body was dead. Likewise, the rich man and Lazarus, ordinary people like you and me, are also able to communicate after their body was dead. Consider that the "soul-sleepers" tell you only the FIRST PART of the story in reference to the following scripture: Psalms 115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.  The dead go down to silence, but what about the next part of that scripture...  Psalm 115:18 But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Obviously, the dead ARE silent - from OUR viewpoint. The "silence" spoken of here is the silence of a dead body. This scripture is not dealing with the spirit. Have you ever gone to a graveyard and carried on a two-way conversation with a dead person? I hope not! The dead go down to silence. From the second part of that scripture, we see that some people praise the Lord now and forever! The "soul-sleepers" say that the dead praise not the Lord because they can do nothing while dead and buried. Why then are there countless scriptures that speak of praising God forever? Consider the story of Stephen who was stoned to death. His spirit, being full of The Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus, and he prayed, "Lord, receive my spirit." The scripture says that he fell asleep. Although his body was asleep in death, why would he ask God to receive his spirit? They are obviously two separate entities. Acts 7:59-60 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Finally, please consider reading my study on the resurrection. Speaking of the resurrection, maybe the next scripture will peak your interest. Notice that on an appointed day the dead will experience a change.  Job 14:10-14 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? ... O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave... until thy wrath be past ...If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. It sounds to me as if at death, we change - not that we cease to exist! Now that I have given you these examples, I lead you to my next question: Can   the   living   talk  to the   dead? Go to the next study. Click here for Can We Talk to The Dead?