LIFE: A + B = C
“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 soul.” Genesis 2:7.
A = ‘aphar’ (Hebrew) – dust, clay, ground ashes, soil, dust.
Genesis 2:7. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground…”
B = ‘neshamah’(Hebrew) – breath (11 times), wind, spirit, blast, inspiration, that breathed, soul (1). (Brackets refer to how many times the Hebrew word is translated into English – King James Bible)
Genesis 2:7. “…and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”
C = ‘nephesh’ (Hebrew) – being, person, body, creature, man, life, animal.
Genesis 2:7. “…and man became a living soul
According to the Bible, those who die the second death will be:
- As the smoke wafts into the blue
- As the fat of lambs consumes away
- As the shadow disappears
- As the grass withers and dies
- As the flood dries up
They will be as though they had not been.
The lost are to die – the reward of sin. The saved are to live – the gift of God through faith.
We cannot confuse the reward of the lost with the gift of the saved, as the lost do not receive eternal life. They cannot live forever in hell. Only the righteous receive this wonderful gift of life, and only God’s faithful people are to eat of the tree of life and live forever.
“The wages of sin in death;
But the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:23.
If the argument is raised that these are speaking about the body in the grave, one can read the Bible from cover to cover and nowhere will the idea be found that at death an immortal soul departs from the body, to wing its way into the mansions of glory, leaving a body in the grave.
Satan will be consumed at the same time, in view of all mankind, both the lost as well as the saved. He will be made visible that all may know he has been destroyed. (Satan’s evil host will also be visibly destroyed so that no one will ever consider that God might have missed one of them)
DEATH: C – B = A
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen 3:19.
C = ‘nephesh’ (Hebrew) – being, person, body, creature, man, animal, life.
Job 12:10. “In whose hand is the soul (nephesh – life) of every living thing, and the breath (ruach – life) of all mankind.”
B = ‘ruach’ (Hebrew) – breath, wind, life.
Ecclesiastes 12:7. “Then the dust shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit (ruach -- life) shall return unto God who gave it.”
A = ‘aphar’ (Hebrew) – dust, clay, ground, ashes, soil….
Psalm 104:29. “Thou hidest Thy fact… thou takest away their breath (ruach – life), they die and return to their dust.” (Biologically speaking, man died the same as the animals. See Psalm 49:14.29)
COMPARISONS OF HEBREW
Hebrew Hebrew
Neshamah 5397 Ruach 7307
Note carefully the interchange between these two words and the texts listed below. They confirm that the words have the same meaning.
Breath of God creates
Job 37:10. Psalm 33:6
Blast (neshamah) of God Breath (ruach) of God
creates frost created heaven & earth
You can see that the two different Hebrew words are used for the same act of God. This is what these comparisons will teach you. In other words the words can be interchanged.
Breath of God slays wicked
Job 4:9 Job 4:9
Blast (neshamah) of God Breath (ruach) of
they perish. God’s nostrils consume
This one is in the same verse, something common in Hebrew; both parts mean the same.
Isaiah 30:33 Isaiah 11:4
Breath (neshamah) of God Breath (ruach) His
kindles fire. lips slay wicked.
Breath of God gives life
Job 33:3. Job 33:4.
Spirit (neshamah) God Breath (ruach) Almighty
made me. gave me life.
Isaiah 2:22. Job 27:2.
Breath (neshamah) is in Spirit (ruach) of God is
my nostrils. in my nostrils.
Isaiah 42:5. Isaiah 41:5.
Creator gives breath Spirit (ruach) given to
(neshamah) to people people therein
on earth.
All who have breath – are living
Job 12:10 Job 12:10
The soul (neshamah - life) The breath (ruach)
of every living thing of all mankind.
All have breath taken – are dead
Genesis 7:21.22. Genesis 7:15.
All flesh died in nostrils All wherein is breath
is breath (neshamah) (ruach) of life.
These are all parallel passages, showing that the two Hebrew words mean the same.
Joshua 10:40 Psalm 146:4.
All that breathed His breath (ruach)
(neshamah) died. goeth forth, returns to earth.
Joshua 11:10. Psalm 104:29.
Destroy all (nephesh) Thou takest away
that breathed (neshamah) their breath (ruach)
Joshua 11:40.
Destroy all that breathed
(neshamah)
The reason for these comparisons is because there is much confusion regarding the word ‘spirit’ (in English) when relating to what leaves man at his death. A comparison between the Hebrew words used at man’s creation (neshamah) and his death (ruach), show that they are used interchangeably in other texts, giving them the same meaning.
Understanding this interchange shows that when man dies, ‘his breath’ or ‘the spark of life’ (either neshamah or ruach) leaves his body and not an immortal spirit as is the popular belief.
Psalm 146:10. “Man’s breath (ruach) goeth forth, he returned to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish.”
No mind, no consciousness, no thoughts.
He is dead.
He is no longer living.
That means he is not in heaven or in hell or anywhere else.
To be dead means to turn to dust.
The dead are dead.
Life is so precious. Value it while you have it.
Life and Death Equation
This is an abbreviated book on the subject