AND now we finally come to it. What if some souls die and then simply remain dead? You will tell me that’s impossible, that I’d better give the Bible another thorough read and check myself before I wreck myself—again. Well then, just know that the following paper is several years in the making. I’ve been sitting on a mole-hill of information for some time and scouring Scripture, seeking answers—wondering if anyone else sees what I see. So far, nobody.

Now that I think about it, this is really the second part to my paper on the death and total destruction at Sodom. You’ll have to read it for yourself. What I was trying to say earlier (but never really got around to it) is that the plains-people were judged in their lifetime and therefore have no need to be resurrected simply so as to be judged for the same sins all over again. One fire-and-brimstone judgement is enough.

Only problem is, most souls are never judged in their first lifetime. That’s why they’ve got another thing coming. Some are though. Don’t tell me the floodwaters were not a judgement on the souls of wicked men, because they were. Does he really need to judge them all over again? You tell me. The demons, which are disembodied ruach of the giants, yes. There are always exceptions to the rule. But the ruach of men did not live on. See what I did there? The unclean ruachs are still technically living. Really though, we can argue in circles all day. Or we can see what my mole-hill of information actually says regarding the resurrection of the dead.

The breadcrumb trail begins in Daniy’el, by the way.

12 AND at that time shall Miyka’el stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the cepher. ² And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse [firmament]; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. ⁴ But you, O Daniy’el, shut up the words, and seal the cepher, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and the knowledge shall be increased.

Daniy’el (Daniel) 12:1-4 [Cepher]

You’ve probably read that passage a hundred times already, haven’t you? We all assume everyone will resurrect from the dead for the purposes of final judgement, and therefore read the one-hundred percent into the text. But it says many. Not everyone. There’s a glaring difference between the two. It also doesn’t say few will rise to everlasting life and everyone else to shame and everlasting contempt. No, read it again. It says some and then some. Words have meaning. If one person were to tell me they’d like some cake and then a second person told me they’d like some cake, I wouldn’t cut it in half and dish out between them the entire thing. I’d place the remainder back on the shelf.

Yeah, but Paul, you tell me. What of Sha’ul? You’re pointing to Philippians 2:10, aren’t you? The one where Sha’ul talks about everybody taking a knee. Oh fine, let’s have a go at it. We’ll read from two separate translations, just to make certain there’s no funny business.he deed is done. But not everyone will be annihilated.

⁹ Wherefore Elohiym also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Yahusha every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Yahuah is Yahushua Ha’Mashiach, to the glory of Elohiym the Father.

Philippiym (Philippians) 2:9-11 [Cepher]

⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11 [NKJV]

I knew it. Already, the some and many spoken about in Daniy’el are likely forgotten by quite a lot of you. That’s how these Biblical discourses basically always go. It amounts to very little what anyone else in Scripture has to say on a matter, should Sha’ul disagree with them. Sha’ul has a reputation for repeatedly disproving Scripture and then having the final word. And right here, it says every.

No, I’m not bitter. Not a sore loser, either. As a rule, I don’t even touch on Sha’ul when discussing matters of the Law, as the universal hallway of Catholics and Christians alike insist that Sha’ul did away with it, thereby proving everything else in Scripture wrong again. I could sit here and go over every point of his letters, arguing that he either did or didn’t do away with it, but why put in the full-time effort? The Law cannot very well be done away with. It’s much easier to point to Deuteronomy 13 and respond that he’s either a true prophet by declaring the eternal and unchanging Truth of Torah or a false prophet by telling us not to keep it, and then leave it at that. Giving Sha’ul’s fanbase the standard of Truth works. According to Torah, if Sha’ul, or rather your interpretation of Sha’ul, is telling you to pay the Law of Yahuah no mind, then he’s leading you to worship another Elohim. Try not to let cognitive dissonance win the day.

But we are not necessarily talking about Torah today, are we? That is why I am willing to put in some homework giving Sha’ul the old college try again, and from what we’ve just read, his conclusion seems rather straightforward. That at the name of Yahusha every knee should bow in heaven, in earth, and under the earth. The key phrase is “under the earth,” which leads me to believe he’s referring to Sheol. In other news, Sha’ul is quoting from the Tanakh. I checked, Philippiym 2:9-11 is lifted from Yesha’yahu. Is Yesha’yahu referring to Sheol? Let’s find out.

²² Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am El, and there is none else. ²³ I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return; That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. ²⁴ Surely, shall one say, in Yahuah have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. ²⁵ In Yahuah shall all the seed of Yashar’el be justified, and shall glory.

Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 45:23-25

²² Turn unto my WORD, and be ye saved, all that are at the ends of the earth: for I am Yahuah, and there is none else.

²³ I have sworn by my WORD, the word is gone forth in righteousness from my presence, and shall not fail, that before me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

²⁴ Surely, He has promised to bring me righteousness and strength by the WORD of Yahuah. In His WORD they shall offer praise, and all the nations that are incensed against His people shall be ashamed.

²⁵ In the WORD of Yahuah all the seed of Israel shall be justified and glorified.

Isaiah 45:23-35 [Aramaic Targum]

Hard to say. Perhaps Yesha’yahu is referring to Sheol. Some things needn’t be inferred to. Certainly, a future date on or just beyond the horizon, when a universal recognition of Yahusha is declared. The only problem to concluding that this is a resurrection account is the mere fact that resurrected souls are still bound under the earth, by Sha’ul’s account. A little awkward, don’t you think? It means they haven’t left the grave yet. Can’t say they’re resurrected then. A much better understanding, I think, would be to say he’s simply agreeing with what the Aramaic Targum already declared, that humanity will glory in Yashar’el and declare the Word, Yahusha, their Adonai, to the praise of some and shame of many. Everyone living, at the very least, will honor Yahuah and his son. And come to think of it, that’s something which even the ruach of the dead soul is capable of. At least, before they’re permanently destroyed.

Before you go on and on explaining why I’ve made a mountain out of a mole-hill, what if I told you that I also discovered a mountain of evidence to back up the mole-hill? Well, I have. It derives from Chanok. That’s Enoch in English. The scene involves Chanok and the angel Rapha’el in Sheol and also an actual mountain. So, epic. Most importantly to this discussion, we are described the four divisions of ruachs inhabiting the mountain, and what that means for their fate in regards to the coming resurrection and judgement. Really though, we should probably read the entire chapter for purposes of context. I’ll highlight the good stuff and then we can discuss afterwards.

22 FROM there I proceeded to another spot, where I saw on the west a great and lofty mountain, a strong rock, and four delightful places. ² Internally it was deep, capacious, and very smooth; as smooth as if it had been rolled over: it was both deep and dark to behold. ³ Then Rapha’el, one of the holy angels who were with me, answered and said, “These are the delightful places where the ruachoth, the souls of the dead, will be collected; for them were they formed; and here will be collected all the souls of the sons of men. ⁴ These places, in which they dwell, shall they occupy until the day of judgement, and until their appointed period. ⁵ Their appointed period will be long, even until the great judgment.” And I saw the ruachoth of the sons of men who were dead; and their voices reached to heaven, while they were accusing.

⁶ Then I inquired of Rapha’el, and angel who was with me, and said, “Whose ruach is that, the voice of which reaches to heaven, and accuses?” ⁷ He answered, saying, “This is the ruach of H’avel who was slain by Qayin his brother; and who will accuse that brother, until his seed be destroyed from the face of the earth; ⁸ Until his seed perish from the seed of mankind.”

⁹ At that time therefore I inquired respecting him, and respecting the general judgment, saying, “Why is one separated from another?” He answered, “Three separations have been made between the ruachoth of the dead, and thus have the ruachoth of the righteous been separated. ¹⁰ Namely, by a chasm, by water, and by light above it. ¹¹ And in the same way likewise are sinners separated when they die, and are buried in the earth; judgement not overtaking them in their lifetime. ¹² Here their souls are separated. Moreover, abundant is their suffering until the time of the great judgment, the castigation, and the torment of those who eternally execrate, whose souls are punished and bound there forever.

¹³ And thus has it been from the beginning of the world. Thus, has there existed a separation between the souls of those who utter complaints, and of those who watch for their destruction, to slaughter them in the day of sinners. ¹⁴ A receptacle of this sort has been formed for the souls of unrighteous men, and of sinners; of those who have completed crime, and associated with the impious, when they resemble. Their souls shall not be annihilated in the day of judgment, neither shall they arise from this place.” Then I blessed Elohiym, ¹⁵ and said, “Blessed be my Adonai, Yahuah of glory and of righteousness, who reigns over all forever and ever.”

Chanok (Enoch) 22:1-15 [Cepher]

According to Chanok, the set-apart are removed from the other three divisions of dead souls in Sheol (as the name set-apart implies), containing the sinner and the wicked. One such division, we are told, has been made for sinners wherein judgement has not been executed on them in their lifetime. You see, sometimes judgement is pronounced on sinners while they live—like at Sodom.

What I really want you to focus on though is the last highlighted sentence. Verse fourteen. There is yet another division made for the ruachs of those who were not righteous nor wicked but sinners. Your average sinner who lived a good life but chose not to be set-apart, and was complete in transgression. Their ruach shall not be destroyed in the day of judgment nor shall they be raised from there. That’s what it says. “Neither shall they arise from this place.” The angel Rapha’el tells us so.

We are repeatedly told that everyone is resurrected, some to everlasting glory, with the remainder succumbing to everlasting torment. Not so. Many a soul dies and then remains dead. Forever. People and animals of all ages live their lives and then die all the time. Sometimes death is death. They will simply refrain from remembrance, and be as though they never were. Perhaps it is yet another example of Yahuah’s persistent grace bestowed upon the souls of men, as it appears as though their ruach will remain preserved. Rather than attempting to shut the discussion down, I encourage you to come up with a better explanation, as I’m done here.

The greatest punishment of all is the irrevocable decision. As we have already seen, all souls were created on the first day, and yet the second death entails its total destruction. There’s no getting it back—once the deed is done. But according to Chanok, not everyone will be annihilated, if you believe in that sort of read. And I do.

Noel