Three Parts of Man |
Each living person has three parts
forming his/her being. Each has an individual spirit, which pre-existed with God, which is the life-source of the person. If God withdraws the spirit, then the body or person dies.
The grave as referred to in the Bible, is a resting place, which can be anywhere at all (see Job 14:7-14). After death the soul sleeps in either happiness or misery, waiting until the resurrection and it has no knowledge of this life in the grave (see John 5:25-29; Isaiah 57:1,2; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Revelation 6:9-11; Romans 2:9; 2 Esdras 4:33,43).
The resurrection is the rejoining of the spirit and soul by God causing an awakening and forming a celestial being (see 1 Corinthians 15:44; John 11:24; 2 Corinthians 5:1). This will take place at Jesus Christ's return.
The spirit and soul both have the same shape and form as the body (see 1 Samuel 28:12,14; Luke 24:39) but cannot normally, at present, be seen by the mortal eye (see for example 2 Kings 6:17). When the spirit is returned to join with the soul (see 1 Corinthians 15:52,33), it does not make the resurrected being physical as it was before death (see 1 Corinthians 15:35-38), but the resurrected being will be able to be seen then as all eyes will be capable of seeing spiritual things.
The physical body that once breathed on earth does not return. Once decayed away, it is lost forever (see Job 14:7-12). So the resurrection beings will be without blood or physical substance, each being spirit and soul combination. Celestial beings can pass through material objects such as walls, and are not subject to time and space.
King David realised that the spirit of man at death returns to God, but the soul of man is laid in the tomb with the body, for he wrote in Psalms 49:15, "God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave". He was speaking of his resurrection.